Our brief stay in Oz has come to an end, on to New Zealand now.

The first thing we did this morning was try and sort our packs out a bit. Once again we seem to be travelling with a few extras including a fishing rod given to Ali by Liz and Adrian in Katoomba. We have a good look at their schoolbooks and they're so pleased to see we can send some home and ditch some. Maisie spends an hour doing some sats papers and Ali makes a check list of science subjects he has to cover again in more detail. Not much, only a bit on light and sound and matter. Good job really as school work has all but been abandoned recently!

We set of for Darling Harbour and the shops and whilst Ali and Simon go and look for some replacement piece for his PSP Maisie and I look for souvenirs. I have a look at the Didgeridoos but they are expensive and I know Simon will accuse me of being a tacky tourist lugging that about! We settle for a couple of boomerangs (No less tacky!!) and a few other bits and pieces.

After dropping our stuff at the hotel we set out again for Pitt Street. I've lost my favourite lipstick and am pleased to find MAC has it in stock. Cheaper than Bangkok too! We also get Maisie a new fleece top to keep her warm in frosty New Zealand.

Just got in, we walked down to see the Opera House lit up at night but it was really too cold to appreciate the experience. We decide to get take out for dinner, the kids have been dying to try Hungry Jacks and I had some Japanese food. Take away Japanese, what a great invention- love it!! We are flying to New Zealand in the morning- the trip is starting to fly by now and we're beginning to think about going home and making some plans for then. (Actually I have been spending quite a bit of time planning our next RTW trip -Canada, Japan, South America, Nepal, Tibet and Western Australia - so far!)

Australia is so vast that I think until you come here it's really difficult to comprehend how much time you need to see stuff. 6 weeks is nowhere near enough time to even experience all the East Coast has to offer and we have raced through New South Wales. There are so many great things Aussie has to offer - our favourites being the drive through beer barns, free BBQ's, wide streets and abundance of parking spaces, more than their fair share of blue skies and sunny days, fascinating wildlife, amazing beaches, stunning scenery and oh so friendly people. (Its easy to sound like a sales brochure when writing about Australia as it is as great as everyone says!)

What our time here has done is given us a small taster of life here and I would love to come back in the summer especially to spend time in the Outback. We have had a lot of fun here and met some of the kindest people- just hope it won't be too long before we come back. As the Aussies say- No worries mate! I reckon that’s definitely true!

We woke up to the sound of workmen chattering away outside our window. (We're on the 12th floor, I was a bit tempted to open the window and ask them to keep it down a bit!) We decide to get up and after dressing make our way back across the road to the YWCA for our freebie breakfast. It's lovely and sunny and we have planned to catch the bus to Bondi Beach for the day. Unfortunately by the time we've got our shit together it's clouded over a lot and we stick in our jumpers as well.

We catch the bus all the way up Oxford Street and eventually arrive at Bondi. We sit watching the surfers but decide as there are only a few waves and a lot of surfers that we're going to give the surfing a miss for today. The beach isn't as beautiful as lots of beaches we've been to but still its cool here and we have a good time despite the gusty winds.

We decide we will walk from Bondi to Coogee all along the coast. It’s a lovely walk and takes us around 2 and a half hours. We stop off on the way for a smoothie and then have lunch at a cute little café. The scenery is fantastic, loads of people are running along with their MP3 players clutched in their hands but we get creeped out when we enter the "atmospheric Waverley Cemetery" and the sun disappears completely. Maisie isn't too happy to see some of the graves have been dislodged and opened! Still I think it is one of best final resting places I've seen. Can't really beat that view.

We get the bus back and spend an hour or so in the spa and sauna. Although the pool is supposedly heated I'm too scared to try it as it's breezy on the hotel roof despite the warm sun which has once again made an appearance.

Tomorrow is our last day in Australia and we're going shopping for some souvenirs. I want to get a Didgeridoo but may settle for a Boomerang or two.

We've had a fantastic, exhausting day today. Although we set our alarm for 8am we really had to rush to make it in time for the complimentary breakfast available until 1000. We have been given 8 breakfast vouchers and we're so pleased when we check out that they don't take tomorrow vouchers off us meaning we can get breakfast for nothing in the morning!

We walk across the road and into the lobby of the Hyde Park Plaza Hotel. It's in a really good location opposite Hyde Park and on the corner of Oxford Street and after leaving our gear in the luggage room set off through the park towards the Opera House. It takes us around 20 minutes and we have to go back halfway to change. It very hot and we're all wrapped up in winter gear. Shorts and sandals would have been more appropriate clothing but we settle for swapping our jumpers for t-shirts.

The park's lovely with some really unusual trees called Bottle Trees, sculptures and signs asking you to smell the roses, walk on the grass and hug the trees! As we get nearer to the waters edge we see a long path that curves around the harbour and on the opposite side in front of the Harbour Bridge is the stunning and beautiful Opera House. Gleaming in the sunlight, the instantly recognisable building really is architecturally amazing. Very graceful looking, the curves are framed perfectly by the backdrop of the bridge and the impression with the sparkling water is really lovely.

As I stand there looking at it I wonder that we have even made it here. When we booked our trip I never gave Australia any thought, it seemed so far away in time and distance that seeing the Opera House felt like a dream that might never happen. When I think back over our adventure of the past months I think again how lucky we are to have the opportunity to do all this cool stuff.

We take loads of photos and then walk around the path towards the bridge. By now we're very thirsty but when we stop to buy a bottle of water and a packet of strepsils and it comes to over 20 dollars we think again about stopping here and carry on round a bit. We pass a couple of street performers on the way and the kids have their photo taken with an Aborigine fella. We buy their CD of Didgeridoo music and then hurray, arrive at a food court. Maisie, Ali and I have sushi and Simon gets a sandwich, in total less than 20 dollars. (I think we were really skinned earlier. Actually can anyone reading this let me know the cost of strepsils in England as it's really bugging me)

We decide to walk across the Harbour Bridge. It's really a long way but worth it to get some more photos of the Opera House. You can climb it but it's very expensive and although we're not as high the view is the same from where we are. We walk back across and through the area called The Rocks. This is where the first European Settlers lived and the houses are small terraces like those found in England. When we were talking to Adrian and Liz the other night in the Blue Mountains they described Sydney as being like London should be!
We get a taxi back and as our room is now ready we check in. Wow! What a fab room. It's actually a massive suite with a kitchen and proper bathroom. The kids get really excited when they find a playstation controller but we're not having any of that!
Simon has really excelled here in managing to get the hotel to put 2 extra beds in the suite at no extra cost and as we can also use the spa, sauna and rooftop pool I'm in heaven!

We spend an hour doing just that before making our way back to our room. It's 6.30 now and I'm sat typing this looking out of the window at the skyscrapers all around. Lit up they look beautiful and the glass of wine and Elvis on the laptop helps to make it feel so special. I never wanted to come to Australia and yet it's such a wonderful place. I can't imagine anyone coming here and not loving it. With such huge diversity across the country and the friendly locals it's been a great experience and one that I would love to repeat soon.

Today we are going to be making our way back to Sydney. Simon drops Adrian and Liz at one of the lookout points and I quickly repack. The journey takes a couple of hours and we stop on the way and have some lunch. Like a bunch of tramps we sit on the kerb in a McDonald's car park eating left over roast beef sandwiches. Sydney is going to be really expensive and we're trying to save some cash wherever we can. Even a few coffees can eat up the dollars quite quickly here.

We have booked somewhere to stay but I'm not too impressed when we arrive. It’s a YWCA hostel and we have a four bedded room. It's really cold and as the heating is broken I'm dreading staying here for the next 4 nights. It turns out that they only have the room available for two nights anyway and we decide we will move tomorrow. Simon and Ali go out to return the hire car and when they come back have found somewhere else. Expensive at 170 dollars a night but its opposite here, we are in a good area and although we haven't quite got an Opera House view it is very central.

Sydney looks to be a lovely city, Described as bewitching in our guide book with extensive parks and gardens, loads of shops, theatres, year round sunshine and amazing beaches we're all excited about getting out and about and exploring tomorrow.

We go out for dinner and walk up Oxford Street to a Turkish/Greek/Italian restaurant me and the kids have pasta and Simon has a risotto. With a couple of beers the bill comes to a respectable 87 dollars. Not too bad. We get back and sit watching the concert for Princess Diana on the telly, we guessed it would be big news at home as well as the news we see about bomb threats at some of the airports. Scary. I read my book and get off to sleep early. Very excited about going to see the Opera House tomorrow.

We woke up lovely and warm this morning. This guesthouse/hostel really is so cool. It's been a guesthouse since 1913 and has lots of 1950's charm about it plus stripped wooden floors, cosy checked duvets and underfloor heating. What a luxury!

We get up and after breakfast head out in the car. There are lots of lookout points here and we start with Wentworth Falls. The scenery is spectacular; The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue mist that arises from the oil evaporating from of the thousands of eucalyptus trees covering the mountains. Looking around its impossible to take in the whole canyon and mountainous surround in one go as it's so vast.

We decide we will take the "Scenic World" route around the area in order to get the best views of the landscape. First is a trip across the 300m wide canyon in the skyride. It’s a massive thing with a glass floor and surprisingly I quite enjoy it. We have a fantastic view of The Three Sisters. (Rock formation) The biting icy wind is my main concern and we skip around in an effort to keep warm when we reach the other side of the canyon. To get to the bottom we take the funicular railway, it's claimed to be the steepest in the world and I can definitely believe that as it was almost vertical.

At the bottom of the canyon are coal mines which were in use until 1945 when the colliery was finally closed down and we have a good look around. Some of the mining equipment is still there and we look into a ventilation shaft whilst reading the history of the mines and about the lives of the young miners who carried out such a dangerous job on a daily basis. We take some good photos of the kids posing with the coal cart and on a replica of the original mountain train called The Mountain Devil.

There are lots of different types of plants and animals here and we read about the various species of eucalypts, Jurassic age tree ferns, rainforest mosses and fungi. Animals frequently sighted here include possums, bandicoots, kangaroos and wallabies, none of whom made an appearance today. Presumably too cold!

We get another cable car back and after having chicken wraps for lunch in the café get back in the car and head for the local supermarket. Maisie has asked if she can cook dinner tonight and we decide roast beef will be lovely. We get all the stuff and drive back to the hostel for a quiet afternoon in front of the fire. Bliss.

Simon and Maisie get the dinner on and we sit talking to a really nice couple called Adrian and Liz. They have been all through New Zealand and give us loads of tips and advice about places to go. As they are heading up the coast to Cairns we do the same for them. They have a bottle of red wine and offer us a glass of mulled wine. So good and the roast beef is perfect. We have a hot chocolate with marsh mallows and flake for pudding. Just a normal relaxing Sunday afternoon!

Later Simon, Adrian, Liz and Ali go to see The Three Sister in the dark; apparently it is lit up at night and looks stunning. The photographs don't prove it as our camera isn't that good but they said the moonlit effect was excellent.

When they get back we sit talking until late about the effect the trip has had on all our lives and future plans. They spent two months in South America and it sounds amazing. Very safe, interesting and beautiful, I would love to go there.

Tomorrow we are going back to Sydney really looking forward to seeing the sights such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge- how exciting!

We set our alarm for 7 and by 9am we're on our way. What a long and tiring day, not boring, the scenery is far too beautiful. I love our drive through miles and miles of gum trees and decide I actually like it more than the Queensland coast. It has a wildness about it that I find really invigorating and it makes me want to get out and walk around. Unfortunately though there is no time for any of that. We drive solidly for hours only stopping really briefly to buy a drink. At 2pm we arrive in Sydney, this is where things go wrong and unwittingly Simon drives through an "e toll". We have a big row about this; I won't go into any details other than to say I was right.

We make our way to Apollo and I give the thing a quick clean, we get our 150 dollars of fuel money refunded. (In total we spent 70 dollars of our own money) not bad when we add it to the 80 or so it cost us so far. A grand total of around 70 quid for 3 nights accommodation and travel for all 4 of us. Bargain!

We get a taxi to the airport where we are collecting a hire car for the next few days from Hertz. The lady has kindly given us an upgrade on the car and it’s a good sized Toyota Camry. We pile all our stuff in and set off for the final 2 hours of today's journey out to The Blue Mountains. We arrive in the darkness and I'm completely knackered. It's freezing here and as we are at an elevation of around 1000m the icy wind is blasting us when we get out of the car. The guesthouse though is gorgeous, with a lovely fire warming the place through, cosy bedrooms and a pile of magazines I'm in heaven and off to bed right now.

I woke up really early and found Simon had gone, I guess out photographing the sunrise. When he comes back we have a coffee and I walk down to the waterfront. There is a group of around 15 pelicans sat preening themselves in the cold morning sunlight and we sit and watch them for a while.

After quickly eating breakfast we set off around 1000 am and whilst Simon drives, the kids and I learn a bit of Australian history. Although Australia is mostly thought to be a relatively young country we learn that the Aboriginal people lived here 50,000 years ago in extended family groups. Rituals, traditions and laws bound them to the land and they honoured their ancestors and the creators of the Dreaming. Australia was the last great land mass to be discovered by the Europeans and the British sailor Captain James Cook raised the Union Jack here in April 1770.

It is believed that when Sydney Cove was first settled by the British there were about 300, 000 Aboriginal People in Australia. Slowly and surely they were driven from the land by force and by the introduction of diseases such as smallpox and TB. We decide that we need to learn more about the Aborigines and when we see a sign for The Aboriginal Cultural Centre we stop off. It was a complete waste of time; despite our encouragement the fella seemed very reluctant to give us any information about Aboriginal culture, customs or present day life in Australia. So far it all remains a bit of a mystery. Despite Australia's tourist board heavily promoting the Aboriginal culture our experience of this minority group hasn't been the interesting cultural experience I expected.

We have spoken to a lot of Aussies on the way down from Cape Tribulation about the Aborigine,s trying to learn a bit more. We have seen many groups of people sitting in parks and drinking alcohol and when we asked about this it seems that alcohol misuse is a big problem for them. The opinion of many people is that the social problems faced by the Aborigines are self made. In the end we haven't got much more time here and I don't think we have really learnt anything about their culture at all. I'm disappointed at this and feel that what we have experienced and heard including a major news story about the forcible removal of children due to child abuse allegations has mainly been a negative impression. We will give the Aboriginal Centre in Sydney a try if we have the time.

We learn a bit about Australia's famous convict settlements. Cooks botanist companion suggested New South Wales would be fine site for a colony of thieves and the first group arrived in 1778. It must have been a really grim experience for them. Although most only had sentences of around 7 years of hard labour there was little hope of returning home. By the time convict transportation was abolished in 1868 more than 168,000 people had been shipped to Australia.

We also learn about the gold rush and after an hour or so pack it in. We haven't been doing as much schoolwork recently and told the kids they could have a holiday from it. There is so much to do here and as we have virtually covered the curriculum I'm not too worried.

We have our lunch parked by Parks Beach at Coffs Harbour. The New South Wales schoolies are on holiday from today and they are out in force on their surf and body boards. It's cool watching them and I think our kids are quite envious of their lives here. Kids in Australia have it good with plenty of sunshine and outdoorsy stuff to do.

We stopped at a campsite at a place called Port Mcquarie for the evening, the sun is just setting and I take a good photograph of the red sky over the pool. We bought some food yesterday and Ali makes our dinner again. He's getting pretty handy at cooking now and I tell him I will expect more from him when we get home! The weather is beautiful here, the blue, blue skies and crispy clear air makes you feel so good although it's getting colder the further south we go, the bright sunshine everyday keeps us all cheerful. Had a quick shower off to bed now, we have to leave early tomorrow as we've got to drive over 350 k to Sydney before heading off to our next destination The Blue Mountains.

Oh my god I don't think the alarm went off and unfortunately we didn't wake up until 7.45. Bill and Toni are up and rushing around as Toni has to leave soon for work. Bill makes us some breakfast and we sit eating eggs and toast before throwing our stuff in Bills car. As he isn't going back to Glassford until tomorrow he has kindly offered to take us to the Motorhome place. It’s a long way and would have been a real pain on the bus so we're chuffed about this.

We say our goodbyes to Toni for the second time. I'm very sorry to have to say goodbye and invite them to come and stay with us in England anytime. They have made our time in Australia with their overwhelming kindness towards four complete strangers and if anyone has a ton of good karma owed it must be them. A pair of real life Aussie angels. For anybody reading this site who is thinking of visiting Australia the Farmstay was our favourite experience here and we would recommend it to everyone. So go do it!

We get to the rental place and after sorting out all the paperwork, watching the complicated and comprehensive safety video, that worried me more than if I had been left in blissful ignorance and paying a total cost of 82 dollars (we took out 45 dollars of extra insurance cover to reduce the excess and paid for gas and linen) we're finally off. We say goodbye to Bill, promise to keep in touch and hit the road. Pacific Highway here we come, only 983 km to go.

The van is massive, a six sleeper Winnebago, very posh with on board TV, DVD, shower, toilet and microwave etc. I feel a bit nervous as it's so big but Simon's cool and as we're soon on the highway he has the opportunity to get used to driving it on a really good road. An hour or so down the road and we stop off at Byron Bay to get some supplies and check out the beaches, the surf and the lighthouse. It is beautiful, very green with loads of trees, little volcanic mountains and the most spectacular beaches. The views from the lighthouse are awesome and despite the freezing blowy wind Maisie and Simon walk right out along a path to the most Easterly point of mainland Australia. Finally we cross the state border and leave Queensland "Perfect one day, paradise the next!" behind.

We have a quick walk on the beach after lunch and stop to look at the waves. We're thinking now of leaving our surfing lessons until we get to Fiji or Tahiti as we're too chicken as it's so cold! Back in the van and we motor along for another few 100 k. We have decided to stop at a place called Yamba for the night and find a gorgeous campsite with loads of facilities. Ali cooks our dinner for us and does a great job and after Maisie washed up we sat back to watch a DVD. Having a really great time and looking forward to seeing a bit more of New South Wales tomorrow.

We wake up at a more reasonable time this morning and after breakfast get a taxi to Capalaba Central. From here we get the bus to the city centre and spend a few hours wandering around, admiring some of the older architecture including the beautiful Queenslander houses. These graceful wooden houses are stunning with the intricate lattice work and we decide we want one if ever we decide to move to Australia. There are also some colonial style buildings such as the treasury as well as huge skyscrapers fitted in between.

We have sushi for lunch to the kids delight and a hot chocolate overlooking the city river. It's freezing and as the wind is howling through the buildings I'm glad we have bought ourselves a few warmer items of clothing. We get the back and meet up with Bill and his daughter Billie for a lift home. Bill is cooking tonight and creates a great dish of prawns and homemade chilli sauce with rice. We have a beer and sitting chatting to all the girls when Bill and Toni take Billie home.

We pack up our gear and get ready to leave in the tomorrow. I feel sad about this, usually I'm happy enough to move on but we've had such a great time here I don't really want to go. On the other hand we have managed to score a 6 sleeper Winnebago Motorhome for a dollar day for the drive from here to Sydney. We have 3 days to get there and will pick it up in the morning around 9am. That sounds cool and I am excited about it, hopefully it will save us some money also.

Off to bed now plan to leave around 8am so early start.

Oh my god we didn't wake up until 11am. How lazy is that we must have been knackered and needed it but I'm shocked when we see the time. Felicia and Gabby's father turns up and gives us a ride to the shopping malls. This is cool as it's really raining heavily and we would have got soaked. We asked Toni where we could buy some cheap clothing and she suggests the local Thrifty store.

When we think about it it's a good idea, as we need a lot of warm clothes and can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars. In the end we buy 2 jumpers, a long sleeved t-shirt and a scarf for me, a coat for Ali, a fleece and a couple of long sleeved shirts for Simon and a hat and scarf for Maisie. The whole lot came to around 55 dollars and we left pleased with our cheapo spending session.

We set off to find some internet access and ask at the library. We have to join and the internet is really slow but still we get an hour each for free and at least catch up a bit on a few emails. We spend most of the afternoon there, the kids read a bit and we try and find a relocation deal on a motor home for the next few days. No luck with that yet I guess we will have to keep trying there.

Toni left the house early this morning and when we asked her for a key she told us just to walk right in. This makes us laugh, very strange in comparison to England but nice too that she feels secure enough in this area to be able to do that.

We give her a ring and ask what they would like for dinner. Bill is arriving from Glassford this afternoon and when we're walking around Woolworths buying the food we spy him walking up the aisle towards us. He tells us he came to find us and has left Ali sat outside watching a trolley of food. We have bought enough to feed everyone and although I'm slightly alarmed at the thought of cooking for 9 people it goes ok. I chose to cook Mexican food and it turns out well. We get Toni some flowers and chocolates to say thanks for putting us up. We share bottle of wine and have a toast to our new friendship!

It's really cold now. I'm sat fully dressed in Felicia's bed typing this. Tomorrow we have to try and get some stuff organised and make some plans to move on. As much as we love it here I feel guilty as we are kicking Gabby and Felicia out of their beds and I'm sure they will be glad to get them back.

Simon went off early this morning to collect the hire car. We have managed to get a Toyota Corolla on a relocation deal for 50 dollars for the day which is considerably less than the 170 dollars our bus fare would have cost us.

We set off around 11am and after an hour or so stop at Noosa for lunch. We read that Noosa is the start of the surf and it looks to be an expensive place. In the end we got our lunch from a newsagent! Not quite what we had imagined but fairly cheap so all good.

We arrive at Brisbane airport where we have to drop off the car and give Toni a ring. She said she will come and pick us up and we're really grateful for this as it’s a long way to her house and would cost over 60 dollars in a taxi. When we arrive her daughter Gabby is busy cooking dinner for us all. As she also has her 2 friends staying over it's no mean feat for a 13 year old and we're very impressed. I tell her I will take her back to England to teach Ali and Maisie some domestic skills.

Toni's house is gorgeous a large sprawling bungalow with a massive back garden, a lovely pool and 5 cats. Maisie is in 7th heaven! It's really great to be able to sit and chat to Toni and we show her some photo's of our trip and talk some more about the Farmstay. It's so kind of her to put us up and be so welcoming and it's easy to quickly feel part of her family. At last we are all tired Toni and Gabby left Glassford for here at 4am this morning and as Toni has been at work all day she must have been exhausted. As we're getting ready for bed Toni's other daughter Felicia comes home. She's 16 and has been working the evening shift at Hungry Jacks. I feel a bit awkward as I'm sat on her bed when I meet her for the first time but she's really friendly like her mom and just grabs some clothes for the morning before saying goodnight.

Off to sleep now, it's so good to be sleeping in a decent bed with fresh smelling sheets. ZZzzzzz!

Today is Maisie's birthday and our little girl is turning 11. Happy Birthday! I wake up around 7 dying of thirst and feeling decidedly hungover. I pray that Maisie won't wake up for a while so I can go back to sleep but its no good she's up and about by 7.30.

We sit in bed and she opens her presents, we bought her a Tamagotchi, the new Avril Lavigne CD, 2 tops, a pair of jeans and some jewellery. We have our breakfast and after a shower I tell her she's in for a pampering. She loves all that and sits there like a princess flicking through magazines and reading the latest Hollywood gossip whilst I give her a manicure, pedicure and leg and foot massage. I then blowdry her hair and make her up before she gets into her new gear and we set off to McDonalds for her birthday lunch. It's exactly what I need to cure my hangover shakiness and after stuffing ourselves full of junk we make our way to the cinema.

Shrek 3 is the choice of film and I enjoy what I see of it before falling asleep and missing the last half. Still the kids thought it was good and I guess that’s all that matters. As we ate late we're not ready for dinner and we go back to the hostel. It’s a really fantastic place, although not that central the facilities make up for that and we decide to go and see the Didgeridoo workshop taking place later.

The fella turns up with his Didge and spends 10 minutes explaining how they go out into the outback looking for the sticks. They have been hollowed out naturally by termites and after a few months of drying out can be carved and shaped into an instrument. He must be one of the weirdest people I have ever met and in the end I have to move as I can't stop laughing. Despite his funny explanations and really strange manner he makes the session interesting and I think Simon and Ali enjoyed it a lot. They have a go playing the thing and at last the fella plays it for us. He accompanies himself on the guitar and it is a very beautiful and moving sound conjuring up images of the boiling, deserted and arid outback.

By 10pm we're all tired and order take out pizza before heading off to bed. Tomorrow we're leaving Hervey Bay for Brisbane. It has been an enjoyable few days here, almost everyone who comes here visits the stunning Fraser Island but we just hadn't got the money for that. I'm not sorry, despite our friends telling us it was one of the highlights of their OZ adventure we had such a great time at Glassford Farmstay that I'm glad we stayed there longer. At this point in our trip now we are starting to have to make some choices about what we do and we can't afford everything. I keep thinking to myself it will give us an excuse to come back anyway!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABES.

COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE A BETTER PERSON TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD WITH.

LOVE YOU NOW AND ALWAYS

SIMON
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Well you know, today has been a slightly different birthday to usual. Normally I wake up at Glastonbury Festival very hung-over. Last year we didn’t get our tickets and had our own little festival in Cornwall with our friends Alli and Adrian, it’s a bit strange- as I normally spend my birthday with them but its cool waking up in at Glassford Farm and I couldn't wish for a better start to the day.

Actually that’s a bit of a lie, in all honesty it was freezing cold and I did get a bit of a fright this morning. I went for a pee first thing and when I turned around to give it a flush realised a bright green big frog was down the toilet scrabbling around!

We make our way up to the barn and as promised Bill, Toni and Nerylyn are waiting with crispy bacon for our breakfast. Its raining heavily today and we wolf our sarnies down before setting off with Rosie for Miriam Vale. I'm so sad and I have to bite back the tears when we say goodbye to Bill and Toni. As we leave Toni invites us to stay with them Brisbane at her house, how cool is that and it will of course save us some money. The Aussies are so generous and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all, we have had the best time here and I think we have all loved every minute of it.

The bus arrives, a bit late and we get on. It's lovely and warm and I crash out listening to Powderfinger on my MP3. Around 3 hours later we arrive in Hervey Bay. We have booked to stay at the YHA Colonial Lodge at the recommendation of our friends Marie and Carl who stayed here a few years ago. It is a lovely hostel and as a surprise Simon has booked one of the "villas" for us. It's really nice and we quickly chuck our gear in before catching the bus back into town.

We split up for a while and Ali and I go to get Maisie some birthday presents. By now it's quite late and although we had planned to go out I decide I would rather get some wine and a Chinese takeaway and stay in. We watch a film called The First Daughter; I read some birthday emails, open my presents (J-Lo Glow Perfume, a silver necklace and a lottery ticket that won me 30 dollars!) and speak to my Dad and one of best mates Nicky.

Don't remember going to bed but got there somehow.

Today was a bit more of a struggle to wake up but I did eventually manage to scrape my sorry bum from the bed. I'm feeling a bit tired but not too stiff and once again looking forward to a day on the ranch.

After breakfast Bill takes the kids off to milk the cows and after helping Rosie clear up we go to meet the neighbour Jack. He has turned up in his ute with 5 dogs hanging out the back of it and tells us all about their job as working cattle dogs. It's interesting and he's a really great character. I love hearing him explaining to Ali and Maisie how the dogs are trained and he gives us a little demonstration of their obedience skills.

The weather today is lovely and we decide we will ride this morning. After saddling up the horses we set off and ride all through the eucalyptus trees and out to the hills. It's just awesome, so beautiful and we have the best time. I'm feeling really confident and all my long lost childhood riding skills have come back. Cantering around the fields, I let Jasper go a bit and we sneakily jump a few logs for fun. The more laidback Western style is a bit different but easy enough. Maisie has decided riding horses isn't for her but Ali and Simon love it and we all have fun. Three hours later and we get back for lunch. Fairly hungry by now and ready for a good feed.

Bill tells us he is going to be putting up some new fencing in the afternoon and asks us to help. We all set off and before long he has us like a well organised chain gang. Gabby marks the fence, me, Jill and Ali carry the fence poles, Simon and Terry knock them in and the little kids bend the wire into shape. In a couple of hours we have fenced nearly a km of paddock and we're all completely knackered. Its hard work and we haven't finished until we've loaded the ute up with firewood.

We all pile back in and Bill lets Ali drive back. It's not a private road; no one wears seatbelts and Simon, Gabby and Maisie are stood up in the back. Hmm! Quite scary! Anyway they all get back in one piece and Ali's year has been made. He's beaming from ear to ear and tells us the past three days have been his favourite experience of the whole trip!

Simon books our bus tickets and accommodation for tomorrow. Sadly we have to leave in the morning and none of us want to go. We sit chatting around the fire and Bill tells me he is going to get up early in the morning and make me a birthday bacon sandwich. Off to bed now. Exhausted but very happy.

We are sharing the guest house with Jill and her family and were woken up around 7.30 by Theo shouting at the top of his voice. Still we wanted to get up early and despite the cold we're quickly out of bed and dressed. We make our way over to the barn and have our breakfast. Stood around the fire we look up at the sky, ominously overcast, it has been raining very heavily overnight and the ground is really boggy.

First job of the day is to milk the cows Gracie and Princess. Bill explains that they provide enough milk for the farm guests, although they have run out since we arrived due to our hot chocolate consumption! We make our way to the barn and Bill gives a quick demonstration before encouraging us to have a go. Oh my god what an experience that was! Still it's not too difficult although Ali managed to squirt the milk almost everywhere but in the milk pail.

We take the milk back to the house for straining and watch Chris mending a bullwhip. He explains that they can cost upto 400 dollars and are all hand made. They are plaited in such a way to make them supple and use the best quality leather. He tells us he used to make them a lot. They show us how to crack the whips, although this isn't too difficult the skill is cracking them in the right place. (Not behind your ear as I managed to do)

Bill decides we'll ride later to give the ground a chance to dry up a bit and we all pile in the ute for a ride. Daily jobs on a ranch this size include checking the levels in the water bores. Water conservation is really importance here and even though it has rained heavily the dams we visit aren't full. Bill explains that checking fences is also an ongoing task and he constantly checks on the cattle. The ranch breeds heifers for sale, which will be grown at other farms to a larger weight before reaching the slaughter house.

The kids really love the bit of off road 4 wheel driving and its really interesting listening to Bill telling his tales about the history of the land he obviously loves so much. He shows us the molasses lick that the cattle use, an Aboriginal shield cut from a tree and a Bull Ant nest.

We get back to the farm and its time for Chris and Dan to leave. It's been great listening to their stories. Dan breaks horses for a living and shows us a graze on his ear he has got from taking place in a calf scruff. This involves wrestling the calf to the ground and then branding it and sounds like part job part sport. Bills parents have arrived and we're introduced to Marie and Big Bill. After lunch we're going riding again and despite my slightly sore arse I'm excited about this, I think we all enjoyed yesterdays ride a lot.

There are no ceremonies today and we're expected to find our own horses and their tack. As we have all forgotten which saddles and bridles we used it does take a while but eventually we're ready to go and set off. Lorel is also riding today for the first time in about 40 years and I admire her enthusiasm for it all. The land is stunning and I think we all feel there's a sense of simplicity about life here on the ranch.
We ride for a couple of hours and by the end of the afternoon Simon, Ali and I are all cantering around on our horses. It's fantastic to see Ali has gained so much confidence around the horses and enjoyed himself so much and Maisie has also trotted on Starlight. (Something she thought she couldn't do) As everyone heads back to the farm Bill asks Simon and I to help him muster the milkers. (Rounding them up) Herding cattle on horseback was just so cool; I felt like a cowboy and absolutely loved it.

Bills girlfriend Toni arrives with her daughter Gabby and after dinner we help clear up before heading off to bed. Our original plan was to stay for one day and night but as we are having such a great time we decide to stay longer. Simon sorts this out with Bill. Hurray! How cool is that!

Today has been for me a realisation of dreams that I have had since I was a little girl. After a long, cold and restless night we were up at 5.30am and quickly chucked on our clothes to get warm. Our taxi at 6.20 drops us at the greyhound terminal and we catch the bus to Miriam Vale two hours down the coast.

When we arrive we are met by Rosie, a cheerful Londoner who has been working for accommodation and food at Glassford Farmstay for the past few weeks. We pile into the ute and within 5 minutes are making our way along an unsealed road on the way to the farm. The scenery is breathtaking, nothing like anything else we have seen anywhere along the East Coast and I'm smitten. Rolling hills, tall gum trees and spartan looking greeny brown grass cover the land as far as we can see.

Around half an hour later we arrive, the farm is a large beef ranch with 4000 acres of land, 350 cattle and over 30 horses. We make our way up to the long drive and pull up alongside a sturdy and spacious looking white painted, wooden house. The largish barn serves as a kitchen and dining area and as it is completely freezing we're pleased to see a basket with a log fire burning away in the middle. Rosie encourages us to make ourselves hot drinks and endless rounds of toast with local honey for breakfast. No sooner have we made a start on that than we're interrupted by a booming voice. Attached is one of the most friendly and instantly likeable people I have met.

Bill is the owner of the farm and warmly introduces us to the other guests. A British/Australian/French family consisting of Lorel (Aussie born, lived in England for the past 40 years) Jill, her daughter (UK born lived in OZ for 10 years) Theo aged 4 and Chloe aged 3( Born in Australia) and their Dad Terry ( French).

In no time Bill announces we will be riding and after kitting ourselves out in layers and layers of shirts, cowboy hats and riding boots we follow him out to the horses. Rosie has explained to us that there are no routines or set timetables here and we can do as little or as much as we want to join in with the daily farm business. We saddle up the horses and after 5 minutes of instruction we're off. The kids are both looking really anxious and although I have got complete faith in Bill and Rosie I can see why. This couldn't be further from a riding school experience. Bill doesn't like the horses to walk in single file and we make our way in our group across the absolutely awesome and beautiful, wild looking land.

We ride for about an hour and Bill gives us some great informative explanations about the wildlife, trees and cattle along the way. The kids just love it. Despite their initial nerves they're both grinning and as I know Ali was a bit worried it's fantastic to see him getting more confident. With a bit of encouragement he is so pleased to be able to make his horse AJ do what he wants. My horse Jasper is a dream to ride, very lively and fresh but really responsive and despite not having ridden for years I feel really confident and just love it. Maisie is riding Starlight and Simon is on Canada.
We make our way back and after sorting the horses out head to the barn for lunch. Bill has made some potato and celery soup and we have cold chicken, ham, boiled eggs and salad to go with it. So good. We were all completely freezing at this point and mugs of steaming coffee washed it all down and warmed us through.

Bill then announces we have to move Nobbsy the bull back to the pastures. Apparently he is a fantastic bull who loves his job so much he forgets to eat in between servicing the cows and therefore has been penned in for the past 3 weeks to give him a rest and feed him up! Getting Nobbsy up the ramp and into the truck is no mean feat and I was scared just watching Bill. The bull was massive and although not enraged, just pissed off enough to show Bill who's the boss. Watching him snorting, pawing the ground and rolling his eyes whilst crashing around his pen was a scary and exciting experience. Eventually though he was in.

We set off along the road to the pasture. Four year old Theo sat on Bills lap and helped to drive. The kids loved it, racing along in a big van with Chloe and Theo whooping along as we sped up and down the hills. When we arrived Bill let Nobbsy out and once he was at a safe distance we all jumped down and listened as Bill explained more about the day to day running of a ranch this size.

Back at the house and Bills mates Chris and Dan have arrived. Another couple of cowboys, they stride in and explain how they took the back roads here to avoid detection by the local police. Having been involved in a collision with a roo they have a light missing on the car which needs replacing! Bill explains that Polocross is a very popular sport in these parts and they will give us a demonstration if we want.

They saddle up 3 horses and after a quick explanation they're off. A cross between polo, lacrosse and rugby it’s a dangerous and thrilling looking game and we watch from the edge of the field.

We get back to the barn and have some homemade biscuits and hot chocolate. The kids feed Poppy, a hand reared baby kangaroo who has just been weaned from the bottle. It's magical watching them and after a quick chat we decide we definitely want to stay here longer than our planned day and night.

Our dinner of roast beef cooked in a huge cast iron pot over the open fire is fantastic and we sit around the fire later listening to Don Williams. I tell Bill I know the words to the songs despite not hearing them for 25 years. He tells me he has been listening to the songs every night for the past 25 years and still doesn't know them!

Being here is an amazing adventure and all my romantic ideas of cattle station life are coming true, sat here listening to the men chatting about cows and rodeos and drinking Bundaberg Rum. Off to bed now it’s a long cold walk in the dark to the guesthouse. Bill tells us first job of the day tomorrow is milking the cows! Yeee ha!

We woke up at 8am when the fella from the Glassford Farmstay called us. We decided last night that we definitely want to do this as it sounds really good fun. We arrange that we will catch the bus from Rockhampton to Miriam Vale tomorrow morning at 6.45am and he will collect us from the bus terminal at 8.55 when we arrive.

That sorted we get up quickly, we have to move out of here as unfortunately they don't have room for us tonight but they have given us the name of another place across the bridge and overlooking the river. We have some fruit and yogurt for breakfast and load up in the van for our lift to Rockhampton Heritage Hotel. It's costing us 80 dollars (33 quid) for a shared room with 4 bunk beds and no toilet or shower but when we arrive I'm not too bothered despite our rapidly diminishing funds. It's very atmospheric here, from the outside very pretty with wooden trellising all around the high veranda and a kitsch 1970 look to downstairs. Upstairs though is cool, old fashioned saloon style, I feel like a cowgirl walking around this place.

Rockhampton is described as the beef capital of Australia and there are loads of steakhouses, life size cattle figurines and cowboy hats. Apparently the PC brigade haven't reached Rocky yet and darl, gal and mate are the general terms of address for everyone here. Suits me I love all that.

We catch the bus to the Botanic Gardens. We have a long walk around the cactus and Japanese gardens before the kids play in the park for half an hour or so. We are joined over lunch by a large number of birds including Lorikeets, Peacocks, Kookaburras and some other tall white things with long bony looking beaks. Next we walk around the small zoo. The animals here are nearly all well known Australian species and we enjoy the opportunity of seeing Koalas, Cassowaries, Wallabies and Dingoes close up. As we are heading back to the bus we stop off at the small visitors centre and the lady tells us about the spiders on display and shows us a baby crocodile in a tank. As the Botanic Gardens are free we agreed it was a great way to spend the afternoon and we have had a lovely time.

Get back to the town centre and while Simon has his haircut me and the kids sit in the bar and have a drink. Tonight is 10 dollar steak and karaoke night and we have our dinner around 8pm before heading off for an early night. 5.30am start tomorrow.

Simon woke me up early this morning. I slept like a log and it takes me ages to wake up properly. (Still swaying!) We had a quick shower and chucked on our warmest stuff before making our way up to reception where we have to wait for the courtesy bus to take us to the Greyhound Terminal at 11. It is pissing it down and fairly cold. All I can think off is the fact that I'm so glad we aren't joining Rowan, Oscar and Jason on the sailing trip today. We hear a girl saying she has cancelled her trip as its so stormy looking.

The bus eventually arrives a bit late and we all pile on. It will take at least 7 hours to get to Rockhampton but to be honest I'm quite looking forward to sitting doing nothing all day and don't really mind. The first hour or so goes quite quickly, the last Harry Potter film is showing and we all sit glued to it despite having seen it loads of times before. I stare out of the window as we carry on. The land is very flat, quite bare and barren looking and so much space! We seem to drive for miles without seeing anything other than fields and a few trees. I imagined as the East Coast is the most heavily populated part of Australia that we would drive past lots of towns on our way but so far it's not been like that and we don't see much on the way.

We stop at a truck stop around 2.30pm and have 4 of the most toxic sandwiches I have ever seen. I refuse to eat mine and save it for later when I'm really hungry and might be able to force it down. Eating cheaply and healthily here seems to be a contradiction in terms and unless we cook our own food our budget limits us to Hungry Jacks, McDonalds, Red Rooster and KFC. Despite being a junk food addict even I have got fed up with it and feel quite unhealthy these days.

I listen to my new music on my MP3 on the way and read a few magazines. At last we arrive and ring the Rockhampton YHA to come and get us. About 20 minutes walk out of town, it’s a decent hostel with porta cabin type accommodation, shared kitchen and TV lounge.

We walk to the nearest supermarket, a large Woolworths and buy lots of fruit, some salad, cheese and yogurt. None of us could face a big dinner tonight and we just picked at fruit and carrot sticks. The kids then watched TV and I sit typing this. We're not really too sure what we're doing here in "Rocky" but decide to sort that out tomorrow. We have a vague idea of hoping to sort out a farm stay over next few days. Tired now off to bed.

Woke up feeling really bone tired this morning, still swaying a lot and seem to have developed a number of bruises and aches and pains in muscles I didn't realise I had. Rowan said that despite the lack of cardio exercise on the boat, sailing is physically demanding and I guess now we're back on terra firma I am feeling it a bit.

We had a lovely morning, slow breakfast and then some schoolwork, maths today which went well and I learnt something also. (Long division). We caught the bus into town and had a wander around the harbour area. All the towns we have visited so far on the East Coast have very similar sea front areas. With manmade salt water lagoons, children's playgrounds, lots of grass and BBQ's they are a great place for hanging out by.

We book some onward bus tickets to Rockhampton, leaving tomorrow at 11am and go to Nando's for lunch. We check our emails and reply to a few from friends. Also heard from Lou the girl we met in Cambodia today. She's off on holiday again soon I didn't think it would take her too long! After stopping off at the book exchange and picking up a copy of Lonely Planet Sydney City Guide, we walk back to the hostel along a lovely coastal path which takes us around an hour. We stopped for a drink at the yacht club on the way and I laughed to myself when Maisie asked loudly "Where's our yacht moored?" (What a blagger!)

In the evening we meet up with Tracey for dinner. She returned from sailing the day we went and also had a good time although apparently was very seasick for most of her two days. It's great to catch up with her and have a good chat. She tells us she loves it in Airlie beach and is staying on for a bit longer than she had originally planned. (Partying!) We all have cheapo steak and plan to catch up again in Sydney. We're heading to New Zealand and Fiji around the same time also so I guess we'll see her again.

Get back to the hostel and decide to walk up the road and make a few phone calls home. Have a good chat with Mum and Dad and Pauline and wish Dad and Paul a Happy Fathers Day. Simon also speaks to his Mum and after an hour of standing in a phone box in the freezing wind I'm almost blue and ready to snuggle up in bed with some chocolate and a coffee.

Packed our gear, all our clothes are washed and dried at last. Managed to pinch this week's copy of OK from the pile of magazines in the TV lounge for the bus ride tomorrow! He He!

Well we got our wish, woke up at 8 today to see clear blue skies and bright sunshine -hurray! Everyone slept a lot better, (despite Maisie sleep talking!) and we motor slowly out of the bay. We are heading for a resort island and in no time we are taking advantage of the gusty winds and hoisting the sails. It’s an incredible feeling and I always thought I would love it but considered it to be an expensive, snobby and elitist pastime in England. When I talk to Rowan about this he agreed and despite his long sailing experience didn't sail when he lived in England for 6 months for that reason.

It's so exciting once the winds get up and Maisie loves it. Absolutely thrilling when the boat is leaning right over and none of us seem to really notice when we get a drenching every now and then! It seems too soon when after an hour we reach the island resort. We all have slightly different agenda's for our time there. Nadine, Princess and Oscar go for a walk. Simon and the kids swim. Jason and Rowan stay on board to clean the boat and prepare lunch and I take advantage of the hot sun and strip off for a tanning session by the pool.

After lunch which included fish caught by the fella's we start to make our way back. We sail nearly all the way, which I'm thrilled about. It's so cool! Although the trip has cost us loads it has definitely been worth it. I have really enjoyed the flexibility of being on a smaller boat and Rowan, Jason and Oscar have all tried really hard to make sure we had a great time. The food was fantastic and we have had a lot of laughs and loads of fun. We swap music from Rowans laptop to my MP3 player, getting into the Aussie stuff now love Powderfinger! Despite a slightly rocky start with a bit too much fast sailing excitement for the kids, their seasickness never returned and they had a great time.

When we get back to Bush Village I'm quite surprised to see that despite not having a shower for 3 days I don't look too bad, a bit piratey I guess but generally quite healthy and tanned. Glad to be back on dry land though. Feeling so so tired.

Got a take out roast dinner for our evening meal, what a great invention that is. Feeling quite landsick if that’s the right word now. Probably be swaying for days. Going to catch up on some emails now and then crash out for the night. Zzzzzzzzzz!

I woke up around 7.30 having had a slightly disturbed night. It started raining sometime during the night and the noise was pretty loud. As the tide turned, the waves hit the side of the boat causing it to rock a lot also. It is a very strange feeling sleeping in a boat out on the sea and only Rowan who lives on the boat seemed to have slept really well.

The weather is quite bad, raining and gusty winds and we decide the best thing to do is head for a sheltered cove and take advantage of the snorkelling there. Simon and Ali both snorkel for ages. The Great Barrier Reef extends all down the East Coast of Australia as far as Rockhampton and they said the visibility was as good as at Cairns but the fish were friendlier! I have a quick swim but the current is strong and as I'm pulled away from the boat really quickly I soon get back on.

We motor around the headland and me and the kids go out to the island in the small dingy we have been towing behind us. We have a walk, collect a few shells and clamber over the rocks, after being on the boat for 24 hours in rough weather it feels good to get out and get some fresh air. The afternoon is spent fishing and swimming. Not for me though, I sit reading my book in the relatively warm and dry cabin.

We sail to Refuge Bay in the evening. There are no mooring spots so we have to anchor the boat and I volunteer to guard it with my glass of wine, cheese and biscuits and Jason for company whilst everyone goes hunting for oysters. Simon and I are the only ones on board who claim to like them but after collecting, shucking and washing them everyone else except Rowan tries them and they're wolfed down! We have a lovely evening, some great Mexican food; Ali plays Rowans guitar and lots of beers.

1am - off to bed hoping for a good nights sleep and some great sailing weather tomorrow.

Woke up this morning feeling quite rested but very apprehensive about the trip. We pack up our stuff and catch the bus to the pier at Airlie Beach for 8.30. We've been told not to take too much gear, but despite this have got enough snacks to feed us for the next 3 days if they forget dinner.

The Captain of "Whitsunday Passage" is called Rowan and the crew are Oscar and Jason. Oscar is an Irish girl who just got off the boat yesterday having done the same trip as we are doing and Jason a friend of Rowans, an experienced skipper of motor boats out to learn some sailing skills. Rowan tells me he has been sailing since he was 3, grew up on a boat and was almost completely home schooled by his parents on the boat. As he usually captains this trip alone without any crew I'm not too concerned about the relative inexperience of Oscar and Jason. There are only 2 other guests a German couple, Nadine and her boyfriend who is immediately christened Princess.

The weather is breezy, excellent sailing weather we're told and before long we help raise the main and head sails and we're off. Flying! It's absolutely amazing, exhilarating and scary. The boat tips far to the side and we get splashed a lot but it's fantastic! We're doing nearly 12 knots in no time and Rowan has to reduce the main sail a bit to slow us down. The kids are completely green within minutes and have to sit on the deck with their faces in the wind, gazing across to the horizon and gobbling their Kwells down.

The waves are really big and Rowan explains that it will take about an hour to get to the place where we will be snorkelling for the afternoon. We have a chance to explore the boat, which doesn't take long. There are 3 double cabins and 4 single birth beds, a small kitchen area and toilet. The safety talk included a discussion about blocking the toilet, something that will apparently almost constitute an emergency on board and I think we all make up our minds it won't be one of us 4 that makes that unfortunate mistake!

We arrive at the snorkelling site but there's no way I'm going in.( Too cold) Instead Rowan takes us across to the beach and we have a wander around whilst waiting for the tide to drop further. When it does, the reef is exposed and we have the opportunity to walk along the rocks of the reef and examine the coral close up. There are lots of different types and we see some clams and starfish also.

After a great dinner of BBQ kangaroo steaks, salad and potato salad washed down with a few wines, Jason and Rowan set up their fishing lines. The aim is to catch something big and Maisie has caught a Bat Fish in no time. The fish are literally jumping onto the lines and they throw loads back even though they are over a couple of feet long as its illegal to keep them unless they're over a certain size. They explain they always throw fish back unless they are going to be eaten or used as bait.

Off to bed now. Simon and I are sleeping in the cabin right in the bow and the noise of the water splashing all around; the lack of space and the damp sheets make me think we probably won't get a great nights sleep .Fingers crossed, can't cope with tiredness as well as salty hair.

We have had a very quiet peaceful and relaxing day today. We got up late and eventually caught the bus into town. After paying for the remainder of our sailing trip we had a wander around the lagoon and got some lunch at the local health food shop.

In the afternoon I swap my book for the most recent Harry Potter instalment. I have read it before but very quickly when it was first released and figured it will make a good distraction from the sea sickness if that becomes a problem tomorrow.

Get back and have dinner, its good to be able to cook some decent food and we all stuff our selves before crashing out. I'm feeling very excited and a bit anxious about the sailing trip. Hope the crew and other guests are nice; guess we'll be chucking them overboard if not.

It didn't take us too long to pack this morning and we left a few things behind that we just couldn't carry any further including fins and books. The Moke has to be back at 10am and the timing is good as we want to catch the ferry back to Townsvillle at 9.45. We pile all our stuff in and set off. Maisie and I wait at the terminal while Simon and Ali return the Moke and by 1030 we are back on the mainland waiting for the Greyhound bus to Airlie Beach.

The bus ride takes around 6 hours. Unfortunately Ali has had some bad luck over the past few days, first leaving his PSP case with 2 memory sticks on the bus from Cairns to Townsville and then yesterday snapped the joystick on it. This means he has to read or listen to my MP3 player on the bus and he's not a happy bunny. We stop off on the way for an hour and have some sandwiches and sweets.

We arrive at Airlie beach with nowhere to stay and follow a fella up the road to Magnums Backpackers. When we arrive they tell us we can't stay there as it's licensed and "no kids allowed". What a pain. Our stuff is really heavy and as it's hot we just sit at the bar and have a pint before deciding what to do next. We have also been given a card from another place slightly out of town and give them a call. They tell us they will be down to collect us in 10 minutes.

Bush Village Backpackers Resort turns out to be great. More expensive than we have been paying at 156 dollars (65 quid) but worth it. The accommodation consists of decent sized cabins with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and best of all a bathroom. We realised last night that this is the first time we haven't had a shared shower and toilet since arriving in Australia and although it's a simple thing it seems like a real luxury.

We sit having a few beers with the manager Greg. We have decided we are going sailing and after much discussion eventually decide on a 2 night/ 3 day trip for 600 pounds. This still sounds a lot and it did hurt, but that is on a smaller yacht (Only 12 people) and includes the reef taxes, all food and activities. Greg also gives us tomorrow nights accommodation here free and they will store our gear and take us and collect us. When we broke it down it worked out that each day will cost 50 quid per person all in. (Doesn't sound quite so bad put that way!)

Simon and I walk up to the supermarket and get some food, leaving the kids watching Neighbours and then Home and Away! We get back and eat quickly before I crash out on the bed with a few magazines and a glass of wine. Simon goes off to update our website but comes back unable to do it. I have found the crappy internet service here in OZ a real pain in the arse. Some places won't allow you to plug anything into the USB and it can be very expensive. There also seems to be a distinct lack of wifi which means we haven't been able to make any telephone calls home on Skype either. Very frustrating!

Off to sleep now we have to sort out a few things tomorrow before sailing on Thursday morning.

Simon went off early on the bus this morning and came back with an orange Mini Moke called Speedy Gonzales. We sit and have our breakfast and talk to a German couple who are travelling for a year with their 15 year old daughter. They tell us they have found the whole experience very easy and she hasn't missed her friends or family at all. On the other hand, they haven't been teaching her and said they have left it to her to decide whether she does any schoolwork or not.

Although we haven't met many other people travelling with kids, amongst those we have met the consensus seems to be that the trip in itself is education enough. I really can't agree with this though. Although the trip is amazing and in lots of ways our kids have had an education they could never learn in a classroom I feel we would be doing them a huge disservice if they returned to their classmates and hadn't picked up a pen for a year.

We set of in the Moke to see a group of rock wallabies. The Mokes are the preferred method of transportation and the island and its good fun zipping along in the thing. Simon and Ali love it! The rock wallabies are very tame and come running up when we pull up. The kids love it and when they realise we have a few carrots the whole posse appears.

Magnetic Island is fairly small and as there are only 2 roads accessible in the Moke it doesn't take us long to get about. It's quite pretty and there are some lovely view points over the bays. We stop for lunch at a café and try a Skippy pie, I didn't really like it though, very gamey tasting. I wouldn't have it again. Maisie pronounced us disgusting and declared that no kangaroo will ever pass her lips! (I love a girl with principles!) By mid afternoon we have virtually explored the whole island and after stopping off to get some food for tonight's dinner we make our way back.

Maisie and I sit under the trees and go over some spellings and maths questions. We practice long division and multiplication and I think back to our conversation with the German family this morning. It really isn't too much of a chore and sitting on the grass, in the sun, under the trees I find teaching Maisie very rewarding. She really enjoys her lessons and is always keen to show off her new skills. I think she would be missing out a lot if we dropped them. Conversely Ali has always found it harder and although he is very bright, teaching him takes a lot of energy as he never wants to do it. The majority of the time he is fine once he gets started but the pre schooling arguments can get a bit wearing. Today though he does more science and it apparently goes swimmingly!

I get some internet time; it's very expensive here and catch up on a few mails. Simon and Ali cook us a curry for tea and we sit outside eating it and watching the possums that creep around everywhere looking for any scraps. Tomorrow we are leaving and moving onto Airlie Beach, the launch pad for the Whitsunday Islands. Still can't make up our minds whether to go for the sailing trip or not and have decided to get there and check it out. So early night, its 1030 now, feeling tired and have an early start tomorrow.

We sat in bed this morning listening to our festival CD in a little tribute to Alli and Adrian who have gone to the Isle of White festival. If we had been at home we would have gone too and I'm very sad about that. On the plus side, I do feel normal today with none of the hangover symptoms we normally all have when we get together. Alli tells me in her last email she hasn't touched Jack Daniels since our leaving party (Or been able to look at a teapot- the Jack Daniels drinking vessel of choice that night!) Funny!

We got up and quickly repacked, we have to catch the bus at 9.45 to the ferry terminal where we will get a 20 minute ferry ride to Magnetic Island. The small ferry is very clean and safe looking, unlike a few we went on in Thailand! And we arrive at Nelly Bay just after 11am. We catch the local bus to Horseshoe Bay where we are staying and get out at Bungalow Bay Koala Village.

We have reserved two wooden huts for 2 nights and we're pleased to see they are a bit more spacious and sturdy looking than the ones we stayed in on Ko Hai. In the sun it's really warm and I take advantage of this by quickly stripping off to my bikini and lying on the grass for an hour or so. It’s a good opportunity to have a look around, this place is really a big campsite but with the added benefit of a restaurant and bar and it’s a beautiful setting. Lots of space and loads of tall leafy trees for the hundreds of birds to perch on. Not so tropical looking as further north though.

At 3 o'clock we head off up the road to walk the Koala Trail. Apparently they are around late in the afternoon and we thought it would be cool to see them in the wild. On the way we pass a field with a group of 6 or 7 kangaroos. They are quite big, I think 4 or 5 feet tall and don't seem to mind us standing gazing at them and taking their picture. We reach the Koala Trail; I'm a bit worried to see signs saying there are Death Adders here. These are some of Australia's most dangerous snakes and apparently a few dogs have been killed by them on Magnetic Island in the past few weeks.

We walk along the trail and stop on the way to take some photographs of the lovely bay below. We pass a big water tank and there in front of us is a small group of people staring up into a tree. The koala is all curled up, fast asleep and clinging on tightly to the branch with its long black claws. It's quite big and it is nice to see it in the wild rather than at a reserve.

When we get back there is obviously something going on with the local bird population as we can hear the excited screeches of parrots. As we come round the corner, we see maybe one hundred of the most brightly coloured birds I have ever seen. It is Lorikeet feeding time. They are quite something and (At feeding time at least) completely tame. Standing on peoples heads and outstretched hands and fighting over the last few scraps of food.

We order a few drinks and sit at the bar while Ali and Maisie entertain themselves making Maisie's Dance Video. (Very funny, will try and put it on website).As we sit chatting about our plans for the next few days, Tracey the girl from Guilin and Cairns walks in. We accuse her of stalking us and sit and have drink and catch up. She's leaving in the morning and we promise the next place we meet we will definitely have dinner. We have our dinner and take her Ipod and charge it up for her. Then say our goodbyes again and head off for our little cabin.

On the way we look at the army of tree possums watching us from the branches. It's really cold now and I'm glad we've got our sleeping bags as we snuggle down. Tomorrow we are hoping to hire a Mini Moke, the best way to get around the island but unfortunately all booked out today.

We have also been considering a 3 day sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands. (A must see, must do activity when in OZ) There are lots of boats to choose from but the kids aren't allowed on the maxi racing yachts and this does narrow our choices. The boat we like the look of is a Tall Ship with a long an interesting history but will cost (Ouch!) 750 quid. Looks like this could be one adventure we can't see, can't do. We'll sleep on it.

I woke up with Maisie breathing down my neck and by 7.30 I have heard all about her dream, a regular morning thing! Townsville is Queensland's second largest city and home to thousands of army and university students. We decide to arrange a trip to nearby Magnetic Island before setting off up the road to get some breakfast.

We find a lovely café and choose to sit indoors. It is winter here and although not too cold (Warm in the sun) I don't want to sit outside. I seem to have caught Simon's cold and am feeling a bit shivery. We have a good breakfast, toast and a selection of jams for me, healthy cereal, fruit and yogurt for Simon. (Very good!) It's not too expensive and we decide we will go out for dinner tonight at a cheap noodle bar. Maisie misheard and is a little shocked to hear we plan on dining at the nude bar! (Bless!)

We have the opportunity to have a good look around as we carry on up the road on our way to The Museum of Tropical Queensland. From what I have seen so far of Australia it doesn't really conform to the stereotypical image that I had of the Aussies. I think I had half expected everyone to be a picture of golden and glowing health and although we have met lots of people like that, I think we have all been surprised at the numbers of obese, unhealthy looking people here. Even in the tiny villages we visited in the far north McDonalds and KFC have made their mark.

Townsville is a pretty town and the harbour looks gorgeous with all the yachts moored up. On the way we pass a few groups of Aboriginal people sat on the grass sharing a few beers. Although we haven't had the opportunity yet to learn much about the Aboriginal culture I am looking forward to finding out a bit more about Australia's indigenous people.

We arrive at the museum and are pleased when once again in an expensive place the museum is our saving grace for entertainment. It only costs 30 dollars to get in (12 quid) and turns out to be really good, educational and informative. There is a whole gallery dedicated to the history of the ship Pandora. In the late 1700's it was sent to hunt down the infamous mutineers of The Bounty and having captured 14 and detained them eventually sank off The Great Barrier Reef. There is a life-size replica of the bow, a demonstration of cannon firing and loads of artefacts. With lots of interactive video sequences the kids have a great time and learnt a lot.

We then go to see the Reef and Rainforest gallery and it’s a good opportunity for Ali to learn a bit more about the coral polyps. There are also loads of gorgeous corals being exhibited and a big section on the wildlife and insects of the tropics. Next is the science department and we spend ages conducting various scientific experiments. I'm delighted to find I have almost perfect pitch, as I seem incapable of completing most of the other fairly basic experiments successfully!( Lack of mathematical brain) Lastly and slightly randomly we learn about marine stingers, cyclones, important people of Townsville and musical instruments of the world. In all we spent nearly 3 hours wandering around and agreed we had a great time.

Just got back from dinner at the noodle bar, we had some great Chinese and Thai food and I found it really comforting and normal feeling to be eating with chopsticks and all sharing the dishes. Made me realise once more how much I miss being in Asia and that I have felt more homesick for there than I ever have for England. (Hardly makes sense, but true)

As we were walking back to the hostel a naked man came running up the road towards us before shouting "oh shit kids" and swerving off into the bushes. Soon followed by his mates, a touring rugby team. I bet Simon would have loved to join them for a night out on the piss! Anyway we got back and I suggested we play a few drinking games so we sat in bed with some beer and half a bottle of mango wine drinking it out of the bottle as we haven't got any glasses. Not quite the same I know but hey better than nothing!

Had a great nights sleep and woke up at 8 when Ali knocked at our door worried that we had missed the train at 7.30. Although we had told them we would be leaving very early and therefore got them in bed before 9pm (A rare occurrence these days) we actually didn't get any confirmation and therefore decided to catch a Greyhound bus instead at 1pm.

That worked out well, as despite us getting our laptop back yesterday with a new hard drive it now won't even turn on and Simon takes it back to the shop. Another 49 dollars later and we get it back minus half the ram, but working ok at last. I pack up our stuff which has now increased considerably in size and weight due to our new additions of a tent, 2 sleeping bags and 2 lots of fins. As we have been given the fins and sleeping bags I did consider leaving them behind but don't want to arrive somewhere else and have to buy or hire them.

We say goodbye to Rob, get in a taxi and head off for the bus station. It is a 6 hour journey to Townsville but I'm not worried about it. 6 hours isn't too long for us and after some of our bus rides through India and China I'm sure this will be a piece of piss. It goes great, apart from a very smelly man sat behind us and when we stop off at the service stop half way we realise have to be in the most scenic bus station ever. It is beautiful, with a gorgeous coastline and a lovely island out to sea. We sit having fish and chips and gaze around. We think back to that terrible journey from Panzhihua to Lijiang in China where we stopped for a pee in a shed with a donkey and a dog and laugh. As much as I miss Asia I wouldn't swap here for there tonight.

The Greyhound buses have a toilet onboard and show films along the way. So quite good. The film showing is very strange and I miss the point of it and give up after 10 minutes but Simon and Ali seemed to enjoy it. (The Gods Must Be Crazy). At last we arrive in Townsville and get off; the bus is going onto Brisbane, another 23 hours - glad we're not staying on! We get a taxi to The Adventurers Resort, a cheapish hostel. When we arrive I'm not too happy as the kids are on a separate floor and as it's such a big and busy hostel decide I will sleep with Maisie tonight and Simon with Ali.

We go out for a beer and sit in a noodle bar. Tomorrow we will start checking out stuff to do. Feeling tired now and fed up of writing this so off to bed. Want get some good shut eye.

Woke up early again having had another crap nights sleep. It has been raining for hours and the noise on the roof is pretty loud. We decide we will just chuck our gear in and sort it out properly when we arrive back in Cairns.

We take the scenic route back along a 19km long mountainous road with 300 bends. It's beautiful, stunning scenery along Gillies Range but by the end both Ali and I are feeling carsick (Very unusual for me) and I'm glad to finally get down on the flat. We stop and get some lunch before heading towards the hostel we stayed in last week.

It takes a while to unpack everything and we have got loads of laundry to do. I show myself to be the completely undomesticated idiot that I am when I lose 3 dollars in the dryer. When I complain to Rob the manager, that the machine isn't working he points out the fact that I needed to switch it on. Der!

We remembered that we have screwed up in a big way this morning and forgotten Simon's Mums birthday .Doh! Sorry Pam and Happy Birthday for the 2nd. Simon gives her a call and sends his apologies! We spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on a few emails. We have been trying to organise some transport to Townsville and Simon goes off to try and get a bus or train sorted before taking Anastasia off to give her a good clean and wash before he takes her back to Justin and Gill.

He gets back around 7 having called off at KFC to get us some dinner. It is as vile as ever and none of us enjoy it. We get the kids in bed early and crash out. There are loads of trash magazines here and I catch up on the lives of Brad and Ange, Paris Hilton and The Beckhams. Ah this is the life!

Oh my god, I had such a bad nights sleep and could have happily throttled Ali when we woke me up this morning early by yanking my foot! Anyway, I did go back to sleep and felt better when I woke around 9. The birds here are so noisy and Simon tells me he has been down to Lake Tinaroo bird watching. He has some good photographs of the squawking cockatoos that seem to live here in their hundreds, a pelican sat on the lake and a kookaburra in the tree behind our tent.

We have our showers and set off for a days sightseeing. Actually Ali isn't feeling too well so it's probably a good thing that the first place is about an hour away. We pass the tiny villages of Kairi and Yungaburra on the way and see a sign for Bones Knob Lookout (Not sure whether you are supposed to lookout for bones or knobs). Eventually we reach Millaa Millaa Falls, the holiday brochure we have picked up describes fall watching as a rejuvenating experience- Hmm! Not too sure about that but the waterfall is quite impressive and very pretty anyway.

We get back on the road and stop for lunch in the small town of Malanda. We get the chance to check a few emails and shop for a bit of food at the local Spar Shop. I buy the kids a toffee apple each, some Ribena and some lemon tarts which Simon points out later doesn't really help towards a healthy balanced diet! (I guess not!)

The Tablelands area is very beautiful and has a diverse landscape. Not only are we on the top of the mountains at an altitude of around 1000m but there are also lots of lava formations left over from ancient volcanoes. We pass a range of lava hillocks called The Seven Sisters and see basalt boulders on the road side thrown there by volcanic eruptions.

Next we go to see The Curtain Fig Tree. This news is greeted with howls of sarcastic disapproval from the kids when we tell them we are going to see a tree. Especially as it is now pissing down with rain. The Curtain Fig Tree is a massive parasitic plant and is actually really cool but in the end we only spend a couple of minutes there grabbing a few photos.

We get back to the campsite, by now it is raining a lot and the kids decide to take the pedal car they have hired for racing around the camp pathways back and hire it again in the morning. It’s a shame it's so rainy, as it’s a lovely campsite with a pool, bouncing pillow which is a bit like a big bouncy castle with no sides and park area. Still when Maisie goes off to the toilet and shrieks "kangaroo" at the top of voice it makes up for being stuck in the van. Guess the roos don't worry about a bit of water! We race across to where she is stood completely spellbound and all gaze at the small figure only 10 feet away. Nibbling at the grass it is only around 3 feet high but a real kangaroo nether the less!

Sadly we are leaving today. I've loved it here and I think Simon has been very surprised how much I have warmed to the camping lifestyle. (The wine helped) We say our goodbyes, buy a few postcards and set off once more. We drive back to Daintree River and across on the ferry. On the way we pass lots of creeks including Devil Devil Creek.

The kids love this type of travelling and are so happy sat in the back of the Vee Dub chatting away, listening to music, playing their PSP's and staring out of the window. The landscape is quite flat and very green and the mountains in the distance are constantly being engulfed by thick clouds. Although it's not really isolated you can drive for miles without seeing much traffic and the "towns" are very spaced out.

We get to Mount Malloy and head for the pie shop. The pies have been recommended by a number of people and we're keen to try them. They go down well but that's more to with our hunger than the pie quality I think. Mount Malloy is a tiny place and the pie shop lady although friendly looks slightly on the scary side. The kids' start singing the banjo song from Deliverance and Simon wonders out loud if the pies are made from lone travellers who get lost in this area. Whatever, I'm glad to get some fuel and be on our way!

We follow signs for a winery. The wine is made from mangos that are grown locally and we have to have a bottle. We have a taste first and settle on the dry version Yum! before setting off again. It so cool in the combi and we listen to The Dixie Chicks and Fleetwood Mac on the way. We are heading for Atherton and Lake Tinaroo and haven't got much further to go now. On the way we pass huge termite mounds standing around 3-4 feet high and the same again in width. I'm tempted to get out and poke them with a stick to see what happens.

Its 6.30 now and we're in the VW preparing dinner. We stopped at a butcher on the way and got some BBQ food. For 28 dollars we have got enough lamb, sausages, fresh homemade burgers and steaks to last us about 6 days. The campsite is lovely, right on the edge of Lake Tinaroo and we have a quiet and secluded spot. Simon and Ali cook the meat and me and Maisie make some packet pasta thing to go with it. When they come back Ali tells me he has given up wearing shoes. I can remember one of the doctors I used to work with telling me the kids would go feral on this trip and it seems like they're almost there.

We have decided to spend a couple of nights here and tomorrow will be exploring the area a bit more.

Simon woke me up rustling around this morning and although its only 7.30 I am soon up and about. I have been reading a great book, a trashy 1800's cowboy bodice ripper and lie outside on the grass in the warm sun. It’s a lovely campsite, the sites are all arranged in a circle and it's very peaceful. Our site is flanked by big banana trees and there are lots of passion flowers everywhere.

We spend the morning quietly and have a tasty fry up courtesy of Ali and Simon around midday. We settle down then to some schoolwork. Maisie has almost completed the science curriculum and we revise electricity and "understanding experiments". Ali has a bit more on his hands with the elements of the periodic table but it seems to go smoothly enough.

We decide to have a walk along the beach and set off around 3pm. It's fantastic, so beautiful, very wild and empty and backed by swamplands. We stay close to the sea and have a paddle. The lady at the campsite told us the water is safe from jellyfish but I still feel a bit anxious about swimming here. There are signs warning against marine stingers in the summer months and we see a large bottle of vinegar waiting for those unfortunate enough to get stung.

We wander along for about an hour before setting back and decide to cut through the swamps on a boardwalk to PK's campsite. (We know there is an ATM here) Unfortunately it's out of service but we buy some food on our card and set off along the road. I'm so pleased when the fella who owns our site stops in his ute and picks us up. The kids bounce around in the back and he entertains us with stories of wild pigs running around the roads!

When we get back we sit on the grass. Ali plays his guitar and I have a few wines. Its so cool listening to him singing away and a little boy from the site opposite comes over and joins in. In the evening we make our way up to the kitchen area and make Taco's for dinner. Again the kids cook most of it and it's good to see how much they enjoy themselves. I had unfortunately had a few too many glasses of wino and dropped the chicken on the path on the way but hey. A quick swill under the tap and it seemed ok. Tasted alright anyway.

Tomorrow we are leaving this lovely place for The Atherton Tablelands, we are planning to stay at Lake Tinaroo Simon tells me. Well off to bed now, feeling tired and slightly pissed.

Considering the restricted space in Anastasia we slept well and didn't wake up until about 8am. Simon has a streaming cold and we decide that we probably won't go too far today. There are some beautiful beaches along this coast so the plan is to drive along and stop when we get to somewhere pretty.

It's so hot already which is great. We have had lots of fun camping in Cornwall with our friends Alli and Adrian around this time of year for mine and Maisie's birthday, but we usually freeze at night despite large amounts of gin, wine and beer. It's so good to be walking around in shorts and t shirt late at night and I would love them to be here also.

Simon and Ali walk to the shop and get some bacon. Anastasia is well equipped with a fridge, grill and gas rings so we decide bacon sandwiches are in order. After breakfast we take the tent down, pack up our stuff and set off. Just up the road (The Captain Cook Highway) we stop at Four Mile Beach for a walk. Oh wow so beautiful, the beach stretches out in front of us and although not deserted the huge expanse of space makes it seem almost that way. We wander along and stand and watch a group of people having life guard instruction and watch children swimming within the confines of the stinger nets.

Back in the combi, we motor on for another hour or so. We stop off on the way at a few lookout spots. This part of Australia is really interesting and one of the only places in the world where the tropical rain forest meets the ocean. We drive through the rainforest and past miles of sugar plantations and mangroves. We see signs for Cassowary birds and to our amazement one suddenly steps out in front of us and ambles across the road. It's massive, nearly as tall as Maisie and I can hardly believe my eyes. We have read that there are only 1200 left and they are endangered so we were really lucky. Increasingly we start to see more and more swamps and when I read that a few more miles up the road and it is unsealed (Not tarmaced) I realised how close to the wilderness we are.

We cross the river at Daintree on a car ferry and carry on towards our destination Cape Tribulation. It is supposed to be one of Australia's premier attractions due to its remote location and diverse flora and fauna. When we arrive I'm a bit surprised to see exactly how small it is, just a couple of shops and around 4 campsites to choose from. We try a couple before settling on Cape Tribulation Camping Ground. It costs 40 dollars for the night which is slightly less than 20 quid, not too bad for a powered site with hot water showers, kitchen, BBQ's etc. Also only 30 metres from the beach and fairly close to a shop.

We take a path through the trees towards the beach and follow the signs to the shop. We pass a swampy looking creek and as Simon wanders towards the water to take a photo I call him back telling him he may get eaten by a crocodile. I was joking and it comes as a complete shock when we stop and chat to some people riding horses, they point to a huge crocodile lying on the other side of the creek in the sun! Oh my god! What a shock I don't think I actually comprehended for one minute that we might see real crocodiles in the wild here and I feel really awed by it and a bit creeped out.

We get some supplies from the shop and head back to the campsite. In the evening we cook steaks and sausages for dinner before making our way back to the VW for the evening. We sit having a few drinks, telling jokes and stories. The kids love it here and when it pours with rain strip off and have a water fight with water balloons. We see a possum wander past and I realise that despite having seen all sorts in Asia, Australia is really different and is definitely rocking our world. From what I have seen so far here I can sum up Australia best by saying it makes you feel good. The combination of the good weather, clean air, friendly people and varied landscape is intoxicating. Really feel like I'm getting the bug for it now and can't wait to see a bit more.

Once again it's up early and packing up our gear. We sit waiting for Justin to collect us outside the hostel and are surprised to see Tracey the girl we met in Guilin in China walk past. We have a quick chat, tell her we took her advice and stayed in Kowloon in Hong Kong and listen to her story of her adventures in Melbourne over the past week. We say our goodbyes again, promise to email and hope to catch up further down the coast maybe for dinner one night.

We set off in the VW for The Esplanade. Justin and Gill explain that they have invited a few close friends ("Their Australian family") and it's lovely to meet them, have a good chat and feel part of a group of friends. We explain to them that although we have met lots of really cool people during our trip making any real connections with anyone is hard. Although we have had some great conversations with people in the back of your mind you always think you probably won't ever see them again.

Davy's birthday party goes well, the sun doesn’t quite shine but it doesn't rain either and the little birthday boy seems to have a great time splashing around in the fountains, opening his presents ( We got him some play dough and cutters) and getting covered in chocolate from his cake! Gill and Justin have bought a few snacks along and then buy fish and chips for everyone - yum! We spend a few hours before deciding its time to leave and set off in Anastasia.

It is so cool! In great condition and obviously well loved, Anastasia is a peach and Simon gets the hang of driving her in no time. We stop on the way and stock up on a few beers and a bottle of wine. I love it! We tune into some old radio station that plays "the tunes you haven't heard in a long time" and the sun comes out! What a fantastic experience all I need are some flowers in my hair.

The road between Cairns and Port Douglas is beautiful. It hugs the coastline and we stop off at a view point to take some pictures. The kids are very happy and we potter along, taking in the scenery. Less than an hour and we reach Port Douglas, we have been warned its very expensive but find a campsite for 40 dollars and pull up for the night.

First job is to put up the tent we have bought for Ali to sleep in. he has been so desperate for his "own space" and it seemed like a good idea. The tent is up in no time and we sit having a few beers before heading off up the road for dinner. It is quite costly and nothing special but I console myself with the thought that we will be cooking some food ourselves over the next few days and saving a bit of cash.

We get back to the site and having given Ali lots of warnings about snakes, dingoes, poisonous spiders, scorpions and the Australian strangler etc he decides he perhaps doesn't want his own space that much after all! In the end they decide they will both sleep in the tent, a better idea I think! Off to bed now looking forward to tomorrow very much.

We get up a bit later today as we're all a bit tired with our recent late nights and early mornings. We have our breakfast; Ali goes to the supermarket and buys some jam for his crumpets and we have cereal and fruit.

We have decided today to walk into town and have a good look around Cairns seafront. Cairns is a small city set in tropical surroundings, with the close proximity to the reef, some of Australia's best beaches and the northern tablelands I can see why people would want to live here. We stop off on the way and look in the estate agents windows, for 140 thousand pounds we could buy a 3 bed roomed place with a pool. Sounds tempting!

We get some BBQ food, chicken kebabs and a Caesar salad and make our way to The Esplanade and Lagoon area. It's lovely here. Crowded with backpackers, everyone cooks up their lunch on the free BBQ stands and then lazes around on the grass by the waters edge. The salt water lagoon is man made and fairly cold today. The kids brave it and have a bit of a splash around but I just read my book and generally relax.

We spend a few hours there before heading back to the hostel for some schoolwork. I do some maths with the kids which is fairly painless and learn something myself. Although what is the point to learning about congruence and symmetry I do not know. I hope that didn't come across to them! Simon takes our laptop to the computer menders, it remains critically sick and we know now needs a new hard drive. The fella in the shop gets onto Dell and they agree to supply a new one for free. They keep the laptop for a few hours and transfer all the data onto a temporary drive, the plan being that when we return to Cairns in a few days the new drive will have arrived from Dell and the data will be transferred then. This is costing us around 150 quid so I'm hoping it cures the problem.

In the evening Ali cooks dinner. I'm pleased his is going to have the opportunity to do this in Australia. He has always been the most independent of people and I worry sometimes that if he leaves home at 16 (His plan!) he will have to live on take outs. He does really well with minimal supervision from Simon and serves us chilli beef with nachos, sour cream, salsa, grated cheese and guacamole. He has made a bit of a mess around the cooker as the chilli beef and is so pleased when Simon, Maisie and I clean up and wash and dry the dishes.

Tomorrow we are going to Davey Daley's 2nd birthday party and then off in the VW. How exciting.

What a fantastic day we've had today. Woke up early - 6.30 and got a taxi down to the jetty. The boat we are going out on is a big catamaran called Passions of Paradise. We're welcomed aboard and offered coffee and muffins which go down at treat and once the crew have introduced themselves we're off.

The Great Barrier Reef, stretching along the length of the Queensland coast is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The coral polyps are made up of tiny animals. They excrete a small amount of limestone in order to protect and support their soft bodies and as old ones die, their skeletons bind together building an ever growing reef. The sheer size of the reef makes sit difficult to understand how this amazing ecosystem could be in danger but threats from land based pollution, global warming and over fishing are damaging to the reefs future. I have read that the Australian government have taken steps to try and combat this.

An hour and a half later and we arrive at Michaelmas Cay. This is a small reef island in the middle of the ocean and the sand is pristine white. One of the crew Emma explains that it is a protected part of the national marine park due to the bird population and the boat we are on is the only boat of the 71 that sail out of Cairns allowed to moor there. Maisie and I are ferried across to the reef island and having struggled into our wetsuits, fins and snorkel masks put our heads under the water for the first time.

It's so cool. Just 10 feet from the shoreline the seabed falls away and an amazing, strange and colourful world is revealed. There seems to be so many different types of coral. We see soft brown stringy coral and purple and yellow hard coral. The fish are amazing, huge parrot fish are all around. We have seen them before when we visited the Red Sea Coast in Egypt. (Another of the worlds top dive sites) but there are lots of them here. I 'm lucky enough to see a big stingray, right by the waters edge and best of all are the giant clams. Absolutely massive, Maisie could have sat in them. You could see their clammy mouths sucking in and out and their huge curved shells covered in little barnacles. Really amazing!

We have half an hour swimming around which is enough. The water temperature is around 25 degrees but despite our wetsuits it feels quite cold and I'm glad to get into the boat. Simon and Ali are diving but Maisie is too young and we have decided to have a ride in a glass bottomed boat instead. It's really good; Nicky gives us an interesting and informative tour of some of her favourite spots. We see Nemo and learn all about life on the reef.

We get back to the catamaran and catch up with Simon and Ali who have both dived for the first time today. They loved it and what a fantastic place for your maiden dive. Simon swam with a green turtle; he said it was around 3 feet long. How cool is that. There are some great underwater photos taken as proof! Lunch is served at 1ish and what a feast. Lots of different types of salads, cold meats and huge fresh prawns with a selection of fresh fruit for pudding and a nice cold Corona. Yeh!

We motor on after lunch to Paradise Reef. By now the sun is lovely and I lie on the front of the boat on the bow net in my bikini. Emma takes Ali and Maisie out snorkelling, with floats and a ring. It's really great, as she shows them a giant clam closing, squids changing colour and shoals of fish all around them. The sea is very rough but they're well looked after and I'm really glad that we splashed out and went with a more expensive company. When everyone gets back on the boat cheese, crackers, salamis and pickles are offered and despite our large lunch we dig in.
For me one of the best things was on our way back. The Captain shut the engine off and we sailed back. It was fantastic, pretty rough and bouncy. Most people stayed inside but me and the kids stood outside clinging onto the rail and occasionally getting a drenching. It was exhilarating and a perfect end to a wonderful day trip. At last we can see Cairns in the distance and the kids have a time for a quick cup of tea and biscuits. Emma shows them some card tricks which have us all flummoxed and we look at the photo's taken by the crew throughout the day.

We chat to a couple of lads from Holland; they are at the end of their RTW trip and as they are due to fly home in 3 days, ask them if they have any camping equipment they want to sell. As luck would have it they are after 40 dollars for their tent but Simon offers them 20 and it’s a done deal. One of the fellas from the hostel has given us a really good sleeping bag which we've laundered and we're almost ready to go at the weekend.

Back at the hostel, Simon cooks us Thai red curry for dinner. My friend Nicky emailed and asked if I had missed doing any cooking. What a laugh, as she well knows I never did any at home anyway. Eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner had been for me one long, happy menu choice and I don't think I would ever get tired of it. We have a few beers, swap reef stories and Bruce our new Aussie mate lends me his sweater. Lovely way to end a really special day.

We woke up this morning around 6.30 to the most amazing racket. The cockatoos all sit in the surrounding trees for the dawn chorus and it sounds as if we are in the jungle. We get up and stand looking at the sunrise. Simon takes the most beautiful photograph and I'm sold on Australia with that one picture.

Everyone is rushing around, Justin getting ready for work and Tara getting ready for school. Although it also seems so familiar, getting the kids breakfast, making sandwiches, I don't miss any of it and can only think that I'm glad I won't be doing any of that for a while. We sit having a coffee then Justin drops us off at the hostel.

We all have a quick shower before packing up our stuff and moving rooms. We were in '2 Kangaroos', now moving to '3 Turtles'. This room is better, a bit bigger with a double bed (Simon and I have been sharing a single). Our old room only had 2 bunk beds and was really tiny so we were all starting to get on each others nerves a bit!

We then head off for The Esplanade, basically a seafront promenade it's lovely along here and as it has finally stopped raining we can hopefully start to appreciate Australia's famous sunshine coast a bit more. There is a huge, manmade saltwater lagoon surrounded by grassy areas. There are lots of people lazing around in the sun, having a swim and cooking food on the free BBQ stand. (What a great idea that is)

We wander around a bit, have a go in the arcade where Maisie and I whip Simon and Ali at air hockey and enjoy a cappuccino over looking the boats before heading to the tourist information centre to book our reef trip. In the end after much debate we decide on a day long trip to a slightly quieter area of the reef. The total cost is 160 pounds which is loads and we are a bit shell shocked at having to cough up so much money. Still, can't come to Cairns without visiting The Great Barrier Reef so pay up happily enough. I'm sure it will be a fantastic day and there seems to be quite a lot included in the price.

We go shopping on the way home at the supermarket and get enough food to last us the next few days. When we get back the kids continue their literacy lesson on the wildlife of the wet tropics of Australia. We all learn a bit and I'm very pleased with their presentations. Maisie especially has worked hard and seems very confident. Simon spends some time chatting with the Aussie fellas who are staying here. It seems to be a magnet for lots of blokes working in the area as it's cheap and despite their rough and ready exterior they are very friendly and seem to enjoy a good chat. One fella who knows the area really well tells us we have picked a good trip tomorrow on a good boat and not been skinned too much on price so I'm pleased with that.

Its 9pm now and just getting ready for bed. Didn't sleep too well last night and feeling tired so figured an early nights in order before our day out tomorrow. I hadn't given Australia any consideration until I arrived and therefore hadn't thought about the reef. But now we're going there I'm feeling very excited. Can't wait for the morning.

We woke up fairly late this morning and spent the morning fairly quietly, chatting to other travellers. Its interesting talking to them and I spend a long time discussing the UK as a budget travel destination with a fella from South Africa. He spent 2 months in England, Scotland and Ireland and I was pleased to hear he loved it and can't wait to go back.

Ali is busy hustling at pool with an Aussie who has spent the past 6 months living in Papua New Guinea. He regales us with stories of his time spent there and I wonder if we should go there as it's close to the northern tip of Australia. When he tells me how dangerous it is there and that some of the locals still practice cannibalism I soon change my mind though!

Alister has also been teaching an Aussie guy how to play the guitar and they have a nice little jammin session for a couple of hours with another fella. It keeps him out of mischief and it's good to see him teaching someone else for a change.

Around 5pm Justin comes and picks us up. He lives about 15 mins away from where we are staying and we call off on the way to pick up some wine and beers. We haven't met his family before and as his wife is expecting a baby any day soon, I think she is very brave inviting us over for dinner and to stay the night. Their house is great, Justin described it as being small but it seemed pretty spacious to us and had the added bonus of no windows just shutters and a pool. How great!

We have a lovely evening. Gill cooks a fantastic roast beef dinner with all the trimmings and we provided the puddings. Maisie and Tara (their 8 year old daughter) have a lovely time giggling away and playing in Tara's room. Their 2 year old son Davy makes us laugh when he sits talking to the TV which we move to the floor in order to use the table.
(Hello movies! Bless!) It's great for Simon and Justin to catch up on some of the rugby news from home and we quiz them on their life here and some of the local customs. They tell us political correctness is virtually unheard of and how much the Australians love to get a rise out of us whingeing poms!

We have taken loads of information leaflets with us and they tell us the best places to visit. Then best of all they make us a fantastic offer of borrowing their 1970's original VW camper van to tour around the Northern region and Tablelands in. Oh my god how cool is that! It must be one of the ultimate back packer dreams and I can't believe we're so lucky that they have made us such a generous offer. Apparently it needs a service on Friday and then will be good to go. Awesome!

We get off to bed and Simon and I lie there excitedly imagining life on the road in a Scooby Do mobile. Tomorrow we are going to sort out our trip to the reef. Very excited about this also. Travelling really is the best.

G' Day Sports.

Woke up around 8.30 this morning and feeling a lot brighter. The kids are still fast asleep though and in the end I have to wake them both up. Despite our early night last night Ali in particular still seems tired and we plan a slow day to ease us gently into the Aussie way of life.

The sky is still ominously grey but it's very warm and optimistically I point out small patches of blue to Maisie. Simon goes and gets some breakfast cereal and bananas. Although Australia is very expensive in comparison to our recent living costs, many hostels including this one have kitchens and we are hoping to prepare some food ourselves in order to keep our expenses down. We take the opportunity to have a good look around, do some laundry and sit listening to Ali playing his guitar for a while.

At 12 o 'clock we set of for The Esplanade. We have arranged to meet Justin, a friend from Plymouth who has been living here in Cairns with his family for the past few years. We sit in the sunshine at Coast Roast waiting for him to arrive, when he does its great to see him and we have a quick coffee before he has to go back to work. We plan to meet up tomorrow and catch up with him and his family properly and to our delight he offers to cook us a roast dinner in the evening- hurray!

We call off at the cinema on the way back to the hostel and book tickets to see Pirates of the Caribbean at 5pm. We then go shopping for food. It seems quite strange to be walking around a supermarket as if I was at home. We get stuff to make sandwiches (Brown bread -yum) and everything we need for Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. Although we have eaten some pasta since we've been away we're all looking forward to some home cooked meals.

After lunch we settle down to some schoolwork. There are lots of colourful information posters on the walls of the hostel about wildlife in the wet tropics of Australia and we use this as a basis for literacy. Ali researches insects and ground mammals and Maisie researches tree mammals and birds. They make notes and plan a 10 minute, 2 part presentation each on their findings. This takes nearly an hour and we decide they will refresh their memories and present their topics tomorrow when we have more time.

We rush off to the cinema, but are unfortunately only up the road when it starts to pour down. I'm fumbling with my umbrella I share with Maisie when this kind fella runs up his drive and gives me another brolly. How lovely of him, I tell him we will drop it in later but he just says "no worries it's spare!"

Just got back from the cinema and Simon has cooked dinner for us all. The kids nearly died of shock when I said they had to do the washing up, dry the plates and put them away. How funny and how lazy are they? I think it was on the tip of Maisie's tongue to ask where the dish washer was. She actually even said it wasn't fair! We have always made them help clear up and load the washer at home but it obviously was a bit of a surprise! Hehe!

I'm sat on my bunk now. This room is very small and cramped for 4 of us and not that cheap at 64 dollars a night. Justin suggested we move nearer to his home and we might .It would be nice to be nearer the beach. Haven't really made any plans for the next few days, we're still tired and as our trip out to The Great Barrier Reef will be fairly costly we want to check out a few operators first to make sure we get a good deal.

Off to bed now. Hopefully it will be sunny tomorrow and we gat get out there and explore a bit.