Goodbye NSW, Hello Victoria!

Hi there! It's been a while! There was very limited access to the net as we travelled from Sydney down the coast to Melbourne so we have lots to catch up on!

After that last action packed day in Sydney we spent a really chilled day on...wait for it...Bondi Beach!! Awesome! That was very fun, and we met up with a girl called Mel who Amy knew. She had been to Melbourne already so had some good tips for us! Bondi is also now infamous because it is the spot where Amy was pooped on by a bird! Much hilarity for me...she wasn't impressed though! We also booked our bus from Sydney down the coast...which seems ages ago now!! The route we planned to take was Sydney - Wollongong - Kiama - Batemans Bay - Melbourne - Phillip Island - Melbourne (for the week). As you will see, the itinerary changed a little bit (sorry to those who are following my progress on a map!) Our last couple of days in Sydney were spent taking a cruise to Toronga Zoo which was a very nice day out (until it hammered with rain!) We also visited the Chinese Garden of Friendship and the Art Gallery of NSW. So pretty much did everything there is to do in Sydney in a week! I'm just about ready for a break!

A chilled out break is exactly what we got...Wollongong was our first stop, about 2 hrs south of Sydney, we spent 2 nights there but the YHA hostel could only accomodate us for the first night so we spent the second in a horrible horrible hostel recommended by the Lonely Planet...will be having words with them! We arrived on Valentines Day so we went out for a nice curry to celebrate!! Hurrah! Wollongong has some lovely views (if you dont look south to the steel works) but it was so windy and other than the views...there is nothing to do. So 2 days there with not much sunshine was pretty dull.

Our next stop was Batemans Bay, we decided not to go to Kiama, as we couldn't get a hostel room and the bus drops you off faaaaaar from the town centre! Batemans is another lovely little place along the coast...spent two nights here in a lovely little hostel, but again as the sun din't shine and it was a Sunday (nothing was open) so there wasn't really anthing to do...although we did cook our first "proper" dinner...so it's all good! Watched Neighbours here too...felt that we should keep up to date with it all, especially if we are going to be seeing the cast in Melbourne! :)

Our next stop was Merimbula...booked at the suggested of the booking lady. We were so glad we did! Arrived fairly late in Merimbula but the bus didn't leave yesterday until 11:45pm so we had all day yesterday to explore. Not a huge amount to do but the lady suggested that we walked a little way down the beach to a caravan park where wild kangaroos live...and we did...walk 1hr 1/2 and back again...a 3hr walk...on the sand! Boy are we glad we did though!!! Real live Kangaroos!!! Amazing! Photo above!

So after 8hrs on the bus (and no coach sickness) we arrived in Melbourne and hopped straight on a bus again to Phillip Island (4hrs) where we are spending tonight watching the famous Penguin parade! Other than that it is another little coastal place with not much to do! Hehe! Very beautiful though! Will be adding more pics as I go along...so that's you all up to date!!

What I neglected to mention at all of these little places...as there wasn't much to do we just went shopping...bad bad...although I was very restrained...most of the time...and I did need another pair of shorts! :)

Sorry it's all a bit of a gabble but as I say there was very limited access...I hope you didn't get bored reading about it all! :) Missing you all lots...but not the cold English weather!