Sooo, after an amazing few days at the Whitsundays.. I suppose now is the time to get our New South Wales blog posted! It’s really scary how quickly time is passing for us both and it’s crazy to think that we have been travelling for over three months now! Everyday really has been amazing & we are absolutely loving Australia! In fact we might just have to relocate for a bit in a few years time, especially if the weather stays how it is in England!!! Anyhow, I hope that you are all enjoying life back at home & here are your updates of what we have been up to so far in Australia!
Wednesday 4th May 2016 – We arrived in Sydney International Airport at an early 6am! Having not slept a wink because of a screaming child keeping us awake all night, I think it was fair to say that we were super sleepy!! Anyhow, we grabbed a drink, got the bus from outside the airport to Mascot and then got the tube to our apartment in Liverpool Street. We couldn’t have asked for a better location… We were right in the centre of the city & it was amazing! When we arrived in Sydney we felt very at home and it was strangely similar to London with allbusiness men strutting the streets! Having spent over two months in South East Asia, it was nice to have arrived in a place where traffic rules were complied with and the general safety of pedestrians was considered. In Vietnam there was probably a 50:50 chance of being run over when trying to cross the road! So much so, I actually found it easier to cross the road with my eyes closed and just walk in front of traffic in hope that they would swerve around us! Madness!!
When we checked into our apartment both Harry and I crashed! The whole journey from Gili Islands to Bali and then to Australia took over 16 hours! Having to wait 4 hours alone before we could check our luggage in seriously felt like a crazy long time!! Anyhow, in the afternoon we enjoyed a bit of shopping in Sydney! We also went and did our first ever food shop since being away, which felt very strange!!! In Asia we had no other option but to eat out every night, as the restaurant meals were so cheap that you couldn’t purchase the ingredients alone for the price that you paid! It was brilliant!
In the evening our host very kindly cooked us Roast Lamb, which was surprisingly delicious, considering I never used to like lamb! But it must just be the people cooking it, haha!! š (sorry Mum, Ben & Lynn!!)
Thursday 5th May 2016 – after having a bowl of cereal each (not so exciting, but oh how I’ve missed not eating a ‘normal’ breakfast!) we caught the train from Central and headed down the South Coast of Sydney! We had a fantastic day & it was great to go off the track for a bit to explore some non touristy and local areas! The places that we visited included: Stanwell Park – Stanwell Tops (awesome view of the coast from the top of a cliff), Kelly’s Falls (beautiful scenery surrounding the waterfall), Coalcliff (we walked the coastal route over the spectacular ‘Sea Cliff Bridge before enjoying a few drinks at Scarborough hotel) and Thirroul (we enjoyed a walk across the beach before heading back to Sydney Central). One of the great things about Sydney is that the public transport (trains / buses / ferries) is brilliant! It’s so flexible and very reasonable! We each brought an ‘Opal’ card at the airport, which follows the same principles as an ‘Oyster’ card, however you can use it on any form of transport, which we found great for getting around places!
Friday 6th May 2016 – we spent the day at Bondi Beach, which was only a 15-20 minute bus ride from Sydney Central! The beach was surprisingly beautiful, considering it is not far from the city! We enjoyed laying in the sunshine and then treated ourselves to a delicious Magnum ice cream! There were so many unusual flavours that we had not yet come across….. How I wish they existed back home though! Harry went for ‘honeycomb crunch’ and I had a ‘chocolate cookie crumble’ ice cream! Sounds mouth-wateringly delicious hey?!
In the evening we met up with our lovely holiday friends, Jordan and Emma, who we met last year in Tenerife! It was great to see them both looking so well and hearing about their exciting new job ventures in Melbourne! They’ve definitely given us the drive to want to come and live and work in Australia for a bit! It too was such a massive coincidence to be crossing paths in Sydney at the exact same time!
Saturday 7th May 2016 – we got the ferry from Circular Que across to Manly! The views from the ferry were incredible! We were able to capture the Sydney Opera House at all angles! When we arrived in Manly we went to a cute little market selling anything from handmade jewellery to technical gadgets! We actually brought a lens set for our iPhones, which is absolutely brilliant & we have had great fun shooting with it so far! (You’ll see the photos as you read on!).
We chilled on Manly beach for a bit and then treated ourselves to lunch at “Mex & Co” restaurant! We each had tacos and shared a toasted chicken wrap with avocado! It was so tasty!! After, we took the coastal walk across to Shelly Beach, which was at the other end of Manly! We enjoyed a bit of sunshine before heading back to Sydney on the ferry! After arriving back at Circular Que, we then visited the Opera House (taking many touristy photos as you do!!) and then went to the Sydney Rocks where there was a market selling beautiful scented candles, delicious homemade fudge and many other weird and wonderful arty farty gifts! In the evening we got the 10pm overnight bus to Coffs Harbour!
Sunday 8th May 2016 – we arrived at Coffs Harbour at a very early 5am and had not slept much at all! We had a bit of a walk from the Greyhound bus stop but when you have 4 hours to kill before checking into your accommodation, who needs a taxi?! Not us!! We ended up sleeping on the beach for a few hours too before 9am eventually arrived and we were able to drop our bags off!
There was a lovely little market by the harbour, so we had a wander and then chilled in the sunshine, topping up our tans!
Monday 9th May 2016 – we were able to use the bikes at our Air Bnb and so we biked to Muttonbird Island! The views were incredible and we enjoyed the rest of last nights spaghetti bolognaise too! After, we went and had a cider at a nearby pub and played cards!
When we got back to cottage, we arrived to an empty home and had the whole place to ourselves!! Caroline our host had kindly got us a chocolate muffin each and a fresh chicken wrap! So random, but how cute!?
Tuesday 10th May 2016 – Harry woke up early and went fishing at the harbour whilst I enjoyed a relaxing morning! We biked to the botanical gardens and throughly enjoyed a morning appreciating nature and beautiful scenery! We particularly enjoyed using our new “macro lens” and managed to get some great shots!
In the afternoon we went to the harbour, so that Harry could get his fishing fix! Never did I think that I would be accompanying Harry fishing… But hey, the top girlfriend award must go to me!!!! We managed to catch the beautiful sunset and then went for a cider after!
For dinner I cooked Harry a meal for the first time in three years!!! I cooked spaghetti carbonara! Harry was over the moon to have a break from the kitchen and I was super proud for not setting the place on fire and escaping the dish washing duties!!!
Wednesday 11th May 2016 – we packed our bags and then went for a walk along the Pier! It was a very warm morning and was especially nice to see a group of elderly people doing some kind of social walk up and down the Pier, raising money for their charity. After, we went and laid on the beach and spent most of the day catching some rays, before collecting our bags and checking out of our Air Bnb. We had booked an “Ibis hotel”, as it was next to the Greyhound bus stop, which was convenient, considering the bus to Yamba was at 5.15am the next morning!!
Thursday 12th May 2016 – the alarm went off at 04.45am….. Yuck!!! Early mornings are definitely not my thing! Anyhow, we did manage to get up and make the 05.15am bus to Yamba!! We arrived at 8am and were collected by our Air Bnb host shortly after! When we arrived we had breakfast and a delicious late, which was made using an “Italian Stove Type coffee machine”! Very snazzy!
We spent the day exploring the area of Yamba and getting our bearings! We walked by the river and then along the ocean wall. We had a bite to eat on Turners beach and then laid in the sun! It was amazing to see so many surfers catching the waves! After, we went and treated ourselves to a cheeky drink at the ‘Pacific Ocean Hotel’…. The hotel overlooked Yamba’s main beach and the views were incredible!
In the evening we went and brought some mince and salads for a BBQ! Harry made homemade burgers, which were delicious and then cooked them on the BBQ! It was a great end to the day!
Friday 13th May 2016 – whilst I enjoyed a lovely long lay in, Harry got up early to go fishing for a couple of hours!! We then enjoyed a delicious breakfast of fresh fruits, muesli and homemade yoghurt!
We biked around all of the beaches in Yamba searching for Dolphins, but unfortunately we had missed them! Apparently you have to catch them feeding at around 7am?! We also biked along the “Clarence River”, which is the largest river in New South Wales! There were many fishing boats; Yamba is well known for its fishing trade, much to Harry’s excitement! We sat and enjoyed our left over burgers and salad from last nights dinner in the sunshine! It was lovely!
After, we biked to “Whiting Beach” and then onto “Hickey Island”! It was a pretty cool little island and was very peaceful! We spotted a pelican in the water and were shocked by the size of its beak! In the afternoon, we were collected by our new Air Bnb host, Drue! Whilst walking to meet Drue we saw several kangaroos!! That’s when you know you are in Australia!! They were just bouncing around the park and then crossing the road! They were hilarious to watch!
We were absolutely blessed to have arrived at such a beautiful Air Bnb home! Drue’s place was amazing! It was very spacious and he had the most incredible garden, which had fresh vegetables growing and had a river at the end of the garden where you could fish! You should have seen Harry’s face light up when he saw the river!! Drue was so kind and friendly throughout our stay! Just after we had been collected, Drue asked what our favourite foods were and what an ideal dinner would be! He then went out and brought the ingredients and cooked for us! The three of us sat in the garden enjoying the last of the sunshine and a few ciders! Drue cooked us a delicious roast with beef, sweet potatoes, red peppers and green beans (fresh from the garden). It seriously hit the spot and topped all of our backpacker meals so far!! After dinner we watched “Wedding Crashers” on Netflix… What a great film!
Saturday 14th May 2016 – Drue pulled it out of the bag a second time and cooked us a delicious breakfast of bacon, omelette and toast! Harry and Drue had a day of fishing from the garden whilst I updated my diary! They also took Drue’s river boat and rode up the canal! I had a super happy boyfriend!
For lunch we had Drue’s delicious homemade pizza! In the evening Drue collected his Couchsurfer Julia, from Byron Bay and we all enjoyed a game of cards when they arrived!
Sunday 15th May 2016 – we all had a delicious cooked breakfast ready for another busy day! We started by going to Turners Beach to do a bit of surfing, however it was not so successful, particularly on my part!! It was definitely more difficult using a smaller surf board to what it was surfing on a long board in Bali!! It didn’t help that I kept getting wiped out by the waves for a start, but when I eventually got on my surfboard I freaked out massively, as I was convinced that I had seen a shark! I swam like mad screaming to Harry “it’s a shark”… Only to realise it was my reflection!! Ha…. I look back and laugh, but gosh was it scary at the time!! Especially when only a few weeks back they had reported sharks coming close to the shore! That definitely ruined my surfing experience, so I decided to do what I now do best… Soak up some rays whilst the others enjoyed the surf!
After our mini surf session we then drove to Angourie Pools! It was such a cool place with cliffs all around, which you could jump off and into the fresh water pools! It was beautiful weather too! Harry, Drue and Julia all climbed to the top of the cliff and jumped 10m into the water…. It was very impressive! The freshwater pools were formed many years ago by a quarry mine! Whilst they were cutting down the mine they unknowingly dug into a fresh water spring, which flooded and caused the pools to be formed!
During the day we also visited a viewpoint in Angourie and were able to take some beautiful photos! In the evening we drove back to Angourie pools and enjoyed a peaceful evening in the forest! We collected wood for a camp fire and then cooked Indian food for dinner! We all wrapped up warm in blankets and enjoyed stargazing too! It was an amazing evening & it will always stand out in our memories of Australia! It was such a relaxing evening too that I actually fell asleep whilst Harry, Drue and Julia all went for a midnight swim in the lake!! Crazy people!
Monday 16th May 2016 – we woke up to yet another superb breakfast but this time cooked by Harry and Julia! Julia had baked a loaf of oat bread (don’t worry I have her secret Swedish recipe!!), which was delicious! Harry made us all omelettes, which was a perfect start to the day! Unfortunately Drue was back to work, but he very kindly lent us his car to drive to Angourie! We could not get enough of that place!!
The three of us soaked up the sunshine and Julia and I also had a mini hairdressing session where we fishplated each other’s hair! Our final looks were super cute!
In the afternoon Drue came and met us after work and we all had lunch together! We also visited “Yuratgir National Park”, which was a beautiful white sandy beach. On route we drove past Mr Billabong’s 5 story house, which was supposed to cost 10 million AUD but ended up costing 40 million AUD! Craaaaaaazy!
In the evening, we all chipped in and brought a selection of ingredients to cook Mexican food and enjoyed an evening of drinking cider and playing cards!
Tuesday 17th May 2016 – we sadly said our goodbyes to Drue and Yamba & caught the 8am Greyhound bus to Byron Bay! We arrived at 10.30am and did a tiny bit of food shopping before catching the local bus to our accommodation in Suffolk Park, just a few miles outside of Byron!
After we had dropped our bags at our Air Bnb accommodation we biked to the beach, where there was a black lake, formed from the tea tree oils of the surrounding trees! We walked around the lake and through the forest…. Thankfully there were no snakes or spiders!!!
Wednesday 18th May 2016 – we got the local bus into Byron Bay where we enjoyed a day on the beach! I brought some bright green new Havanas in town for a bargain price of Ā£1!
One of the highlights of the day was definitely eating my body weight in icecream! We each treated ourselves to a gelato icecream – I went for a scoop of salted caramel & Nutella and a scoop of Tin Lizzy cheesecake (toffee sauce, cheesecake and chocolate chips!) whilst Harry went for a scoop of passionate fruit and a scoop of crunchy coffee chocolate icecream! Both were amazingly delicious!
In the afternoon we went on a very scenic walk to watch the sunset! The views from the look out points along the way were incredible! We visited the ‘most easterly point of mainland Australia’, which was pretty cool! After, we went to a view point above Wategos Beach and managed to catch the sunset!
When we got back to our Air Bnb we were delighted to meet two new backpackers – Mike & Hattie & we enjoyed comparing Asia travels! Little did we know our paths would join again!
Thursday 19th May 2016 – after breakfast, Sacha our host, very kindly dropped us at the Backpackers hostel where our surf camp was! Our surf lesson wasn’t until the afternoon, so we decided to drop our bags and check out the lighthouse!
The walk to the lighthouse was pretty much all up hill and it felt like forever walking there! It was definitely worth it though, as when we got there we saw many pods of dolphins in the water! I was soooooooo excited to have EVENTUALLY spotted them, since the Air Bnb woman in Yamba had guaranteed me to see dolphins during our stay, so I had constantly been on the lookout but had missed them every time! We went on a tour of the lighthouse and were able to take photos from the top! A few facts for you all to prove I was paying attention! – Firstly, the lighthouse is 28m tall, has 72 stairs and is 100 years old! The brickwork came from the headland underneath and it is 1 of only 3 Mercury bath lighthouses in Australia! The lighthouse uses led bulbs to produce the light and then the prisons reflect and refract the light, sending it 52km across the ocean! – I’m sorry if I bored you all just then, ha!
Anyhow…. At 2pm we started our surf camp! Joel our surf instructor was awesome! He had the most beautiful Kiwi accent and I could listen to him talk all day! He told Harry and I that we should quit our jobs and instead surf with him in Byron….. DEAL! It would not take much convincing… We have already fallen in love with Australia and NEVER want to leave!!
The surf was awesome! We were able to catch most of the waves too & it was soooooo much fun!
Backpackers Inn was our first hostel experience throughout our travels! We were lucky to stay in hotels and guesthouses in Asia and since being in Australia have stayed at Air B’n’b’s! Although, the hostel was heaps better than we had thought it would be! It had a super chilled atmosphere and everyone was so friendly! Our surf camp included an evening meal and we got to choose any pizza from the local pizza delivery restaurant! We enjoyed a relaxing evening watching “Chasing Mavericks” at the hostels’ Outdoor Cinema (another thing ticked off my bucket list!!) whilst snuggled up on beanbags and cosy blankets! It was the dream & the pizzas were the best ever! The film was top despite it having me in tears by the end of it!!
Friday 20th May 2016 – so we survived the hostel!!! It’s kind of crazy how we’ve managed to totally avoid them, but it’s a no brainer really to stay in Air Bnb accommodation when it’s either cheaper or the same price! Plus it’s definitely better than sleeping in a 10 bedroom dorm!! Especially when you’re travelling as a couple! š We’ve most certainly been lucky, as so far most of our Air Bnb hosts have either been working or out, so we’ve had the whole place to ourselves, it’s been a bliss!
Anyhow, back to it! We decided to do a bit of winter clothes shopping in Byron… They had the cutest shops and I could have brought so many nice clothes, but it’s impossible when you’re living out of a rucksack for 5 months! It felt rather weird buying hoodies when it was 30 degrees outside, but it’s going to be a chilly one in New Zealand next month, as it is their winter and snow season!
After, we went back to the beach for a bit, before treating ourselves to a delicious lunch at the best Mexican restaurant in town! We both went for burritos, which was a good shout! We then waved goodbye to New South Wales; catching the Greyhound bus to our next destination, Surfers Paradise, located in Queensland!
Sending lots of love to you all back at home,
Jess & Harry š x
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