Stu's Travels

29th October, Brisbane, Queensland (Just after the first Test!)

Wow how time flies! Only now do I realise its almost december, that 2006 is nearly over already, and therefore so is my travelling. I say, what a ghastly thought!

Anyway, the last ten days have been great fun. I started with a night in sleepy town of Hervey Bay, relaxing on the cosy beach and eating local fish and chips on the seafront- all a bit... English really.

Then, I made it down to coast to Noosa, a more commercial town thats about an hour north of Brisbane, but no less picturesque. the town is set on a fabulous beachfront, with miles of golden sand and a nice holiday atmosphere. The surrounds are forested, with the Noosa Heads National Park providing a good few hours entertainment strolling along the rugged coast and lush forests (despite having to share the path with some massive lizards!).

Added to this, I trekked up to the spectacular lookout point, from where you could see the whole lagoon upon which Noosa is built and a spectacular sunset. All in all an unexpectedly idyllic spot, which reminded me of Knysna in South africa (for anyone who's been).

All too soon, it was time to move on, but it didn't take much to get me moving seeing as I was off for a week in Brisbane during the first Ashes Test.

Brisbane gave a great first impression- there's so much to do and its was so good to be settled in one place for more than one or two nights. i spent a couple of days on the beach/swimming pool by the river, watching the cricket in despair, being interviewed by channel 5 news, and taking in the stunning backdrop of the Brisbane River and city skyline.

Another two days were spent watching the game from the comfort of the hostel, swapping banter with my aussie roommates and watching the world go by.

But by far the best day was day 5 of the Test (even though we lost). I got a ticket to the 'Gabba, and even though play only lasted for a couple of hours the experience was unforgettable. The Barmy army sang non-stop, taking the piss out of anything Aussie that moved, most especially Shane Warne- Two hours of fun that has certainly whet my appetite for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests (lets just hope the series is still alive!).

And yesterday, since there was no cricket to watch, I travelled to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to get in touch with the local wildlife. The sanctuary had over 130 koalas of all shapes and sizes as well as kangaroos that you could touch and feed, wombats, snakes, crocs, and even a sheep dog show! I took the ferry cruise along the river back to Brisbane, which was also pretty cool to get a different perspective on the city.

So now I'm on the bus, travelling down to Byron Bay, which I've heard is a brilliant place to be. I've skipped the tourist-trap of Surfer's Paradise because it's been invaded by all of the East Coast school kids on their end of school week of drunkeness. To be honest I'm quite glad- Surfer's is all high rise apartments and tacky neon signs anyway.

So its onwards to Byron, and into new South wales. I'm leaving Queensland behind me with a hint of sadness- NSW is a lot more built-up and commercial. I'm going to miss the laid-back lifestyle, tropical weather, and friendly rural communities of Queensland. But you know what they say... Onwards and Upwards!

Saturday 18th November, Town of 1770, Queensland, Australia

I've been in Australia for exactly a week now and I'm loving it. It's totally different to Africa (well, duh!)- lively, developed and literally full of backpackers- they're bloody everywhere! As for the hordes of Japanese tourists, well they just take the biscuit!

My flights to australia were traumatic- the flight to Perth was delayed by just enough that I missed my connectinf flight to Ayres Rock, so I had to be re-routed via Sydney and was 3 hours late, and without any luggage. Anyway, I eventually made it to Cairns and checked into the backpackers which was cheap but not nasty.

Cairns was pretty cool- plenty of atmosphere, bars, music and entertainment. It's also the gateway to the Great Barrier reef, so I thought it'd just be plain rude if I didn't go and see it! I took a day trip to Green Island, where the snorkelling was great and the beach idyllic (apart from the Japanese- they get everywhere!). Another day was spent taking the scenic railway up to the jungle town of Kuranda, walking around the rainforest, before zipping back down on the SkyRail- a 15 kilometre cable car just above the forest canopy.

After 4 nights it was time to move on to my next stop, Airlie Beach, a lively, 'vibey' strip of bars that happened to be full of school kids on their end-of-school beach holiday/debauchery. It was a pretty nice place to be though, with a nice beach and lagoon (outdoor swimming pool).

As is becoming unfortunately all-too-common, just as I felt settled in airlie, it was time to move on. I guess doing the East Coast this quickly was always going to be rushed.

An overnight coach ride to the town of '1770', my next destination meant that I stumbled into this oddly-named place slightly dazed and confused. 1770 is a very chilled out town tucked away off the main road, an oasis in between the dull, faceless towns that tend to be all-too common.

Within ten minutes of arriving I was rushing down the high street to catch a surfing lesson in what is reputedly Australia's best beach to learn- small, constant waves and cheap lessons mean it is ideal for beginners. The surfing was great fun- warm water and easy riding were perfect for beginners, but it was still bloody hard work!

On my first time, I popped up perfectly, closed my eyes and rode the surging wave like a pro... then it was time to get into the water!

I managed to fluke my first real wave, standing up with textbook style and riding all the way to the beach. I though "this is way too easy" until I remembered I'm famous for my lack of balance (both drunk AND sober)! From then on it was hard work- lots of paddling and falling off before I founf my form again just before we finished. so for those who remember the "ski school" days, I'm glad to report my surfing is way better than my skiing!

So here I am, exhausting and sat in a hammock watching the world go by. The hostel here is very chilled, with great gardens and a funk atmosphere. It's just a shame I can't stay here longer- but being in Brisbane for the first test

Cape Town, 8th November

Once I had said my goodbyes to the truck it was time to take the flight from Zimbabwe to Jo'Burg, which went suprsingly smoothly considering the lack of organisation everyone there has. I survived in one piece, but unfortunately the wooden Rhino I had bought as a present for the Small family in East London didn't- the poor bugger arrived both horn- and leg-less into the semi-civilised world.

I spent two nights in Jo'Burg , staying with Greg Pitt (an old friend from my gap year) before moving on to East London for the week to once again stay with the Smalls. Their house was just as I remembered it, set just of the Nahoon River with stunning views, which proved perfect to daydream and reminisce over.

Then it was on to Grahamstown (the town where I spent my Gap Year) for a few days, where I managed to slip back into the old rhythm of partying hard with the Rhodes students by night and lazing by the pool by day. I went back to visit Kingswood, and it like Grahamstown, hadn't changed at all apart from the people. It did feel stlightly strange seeing so many familiar faces in a place where I used to know everyone. Even so we had some great nights back in The Rat and Parrot and Friar Tuck's, which brought back many hazy, alcohol-fuelled memories!

After Grahamstown I went back to east london for a few days, and took in a day-nighter at Buffalo Park from the comfort of the hospitality lounge thanks to John Small. But all too soon it was time to move on once again, only this time I was headed for Cape Town.

Cape Town was stunningly beautiful, as ever. The scenery (for anyone who hasn't been) is spectacular thanks to the towering Table Mountain, and it was paradise to be back on Camps Bay, sipping cocktails in front of perfect a sunset. I stayed at the base of the mountain with Angie, who I met way back at my local pub, funnily enough (as if I'm ever anywhere else!).

We spent a great two weeks eating out, drinking out, and lazing around at hers, which was divided by a weekend in Stellenbosch. There I met up with the same truck that I had been on up to Vic Falls, and more importantly everyone on board! We took in a wine tour around some of the famous vineyards, which essentially led to two nights of debauchery, before driving down to Cape Town and then on to Boulders' Beach and the Cape of Good Hope for a day.

So now I'm here on Camps Bay beach, watching the world go by and taking in the beautiful scenery. I've only got two days here before I leave for Australia, leaving Africa behind me. Africa has been fantastic- two and a half months have gone by in the blink of an eye, but I've seen and done so much that it's time for a new challenge- and frankly I can't wait to get to Oz for good old-fashioned Ashes-style Aussie-Bashing! Until then I'm going to be busy packing for my 24 hour trip to Cairns via 4 different flights!

So when I get there, it'll feel like 4am, but ACTUALLY it ll be lunchtime and it'll be 35 degrees....