The morning we met it was clear Ian had brought the bad weather with him as Sydney turned from 30 degrees sunshine to torrential rain. Not one to let the rain get us down - well we are from the North - we headed out and about in the city anyway on a whirlwind two day tour to show Ian the main sights.
First stop was of course Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour bridge. I think its safe to say Ian had a unique experience of seeing it in the pouring rain but he didn't let that deter him as he signed us all up for the harbour bridge walk the next day.
That evening, Ian's first in Sydney, we went out for a few drinks to celebrate his arrival. Several drinks (on Ian's part) later saw us (well Ian) staggering back to the hostel in anticipation of the next day. It was fair to say that on our way home, Mike and I seriously considered leaving Ian behind and wondered what we had let ourselves in for as the tipsy Geordie decided to make friends with every waif and stray on the subway.
Our second day came, raining still, and we headed over to Bondi in the hope of some sunshine. We were blessed with a few rays over a greasy spoon brekkie - to help Ian with his hangover - before heading back into the city to prepare for our bridge climb.
The gods were smiling on us it seemed for we were lucky enough to avoid rain for the whole of the climb and got to see the views drizzle free.
Our last morning in Sydney Ian and Mike set off to pick up the camper-van. They left at 9am and came back at 2pm, fitting in three hours of impromptu shopping on the way. Needless to say I wasn't over-impressed and a stressful, rush-hour drive out of the city towards the Blue Mountains ensued.
We made it though, just and camped up for the night. Over the next few days we made our base at Katoomba and set about exploring the area.
Before I get onto the Blue Mountains I need to explain a little bit about our camper-van. Ian named him Oliver, an appropriate name as he certainly did need something ... well a bit more. A heap of junk to put it mildly we wondered how we were going to cope for three weeks in it. Our solution, head to the liquor store to pick up some beer and spirits out of which was born the tradition of a drink, being the first thing we did, once we parked up for camp every night. That drink was sorely need by the driver who had to cope with driving Oliver and the passengers also who had to deal with the roller coaster ride.
Back to the blue mountains which are beautiful, vast and as their name dictates appear blue. This is because, I'm told, the Eucalyptus trees that line the rain forest release a blue vapour when heated creating a blue haze across the mountains. We took in the view by day and by night, via the world's steepest railway and across a mountain top sky-line.
After the mountains we headed to wine country to the Hunter Valley to introduce Ian to the world of wine tasting. As wine tasting veterans now, we settled back to watch and help Ian get incredibly drunk on wine, champagne, port, vodka and schnapps on a day that started at 9am.
Hangover free the next day we started our long drive towards Byron Bay stopping off at Nelson's Bay and Coffs Harbour. The next few days were filled with driving, surfing at remote and deserted beaches and meeting the local wildlife.
Over drinks, whisky (Ian), rum (us) and a card game of CHEAT, we came face-to-face with our first true Aussie animal - a possum. I swear Mike and Ian were worse than Japanese tourists the amount of photos they took of what is essentially considered vermin by locals.
You can imagine my concern that the 'paparazzi' would again surface the next day as we continued on our journey stopping off on the way at a koala sanctuary. While the photography continued we also got to meet and stroke koalas, interact with kangaroos and wallabies, see wombats, dingoes and even a croc.
We finally arrived in Byron Bay a few days before Mike's birthday and popped in to 'In the Pink' the local ice-cream shop that Dad her owns to surprise our friend, Sam who we had met in Colombia. After she got over her shock, she invited us to stay at her house for the next few days.
The comfort of home was more than welcome after a week on the road and we spent the next few days chilling out with Sam, playing with her two dogs Pepper and Rusty, going to the beach, surfing and making the most of a free washing machine. We evening got to meet her mum, being invited around for dinner which was lovely, although slightly concerning when her mum gave me a soft toy wombat and book (I think the Aussie equivalent to Peter Rabbit) for my unborn baby. No pressure then!
On Mike's birthday the four of us headed to the beach near Sam's house and enjoyed a day of body-boarding, beers, and BBQ followed by a decadent champagne and home-made brownies, cheese platter and movie in the evening. Stuffed to the gills, mainly by Sam force feeding us sweets and free ice-cream we were ready to leave the next morning on our road-trip to Cairns. Thanks to Sam for a fab time.
On our way from Byron to Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday's we stopped off at Noosa and Rainbow Beach, admiring more of the Sunshine state's beautiful beaches and, well frankly its sunshine as the sun started to emerge from the rain.
At Rainbow Beach we booked a tour of Fraser Island which was to be our last day out with Ian before he flew home. Early in the morning we boarded a bus and headed over to Dingo land. We spent the morning at the crystal waters of Lake Mackenzie and in the afternoon treated ourselves to a flight over the island to get a birds eye view. Highlights included seeing the shipwreck, contemplating locking Ian in a dingo food cage and splashing each other at Eli Creek. I won as I soaked Ian in all his clothes.
From Fraser we had to haul ass to get to Mackay where Ian was flying out from putting in some hardcore driving days. Writing this post we remember all the fun we had, laughing with and AT Ian. The joker (somewhat unwittingly) of the trip he kept amused as he:
1) Burnt the skin off his feet on the first day of sunbathing - well he is ginger
2) Launched himself across the campsite as he set up the water hose, which inadvertently turned on him
3) Got drunk and made friends with tramps
4) Nearly poked his eye out with a tent pole
5) Nearly drowned body boarding at Byron Bay
6) Hit his head on numerous occasions off the van door .... roof... and boot
7) Got eaten alive by mosquitoes and sand flies
8) Got a speeding ticket
9) Chipped the windscreen
Sorry Ian. Love ya :) x
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