LIBBY GREENHALGH

You know it's going to be good hostel when you are greeted at 0530 in the morning by nothing more than a ginger cat proudly sat there on reception to check you in.  Fraser is his name and turns out he is a biter. Having walked to 20 mins to the hostel through a very serene Cairns past their lagoon, much like Airlie Beach,  I am promptly delivered on a free bus back to where I came with my snorkeling kit (the wet towel, bikini and shorts from yesterday and factor 50) to join my exclusive..... 75 people... boat to head out to the great barrier reef. The shoreline here in Cairns is like that of the Whitsundays and you can begin to imagine a mountain range,  now long submerged,  that extended south.  It's an hour out to the reef and on the way I am briefed on my try dive. Remember to breathe- now this is tricky as I like to hold my breath under water And actually that's the only thing I can remember and decided it was the most important. I have always wonde...

Meet your co-pilot Miss Elizabeth Greenhalgh she will be ensuring you of absolutely nothing regarding flying the plane or the safety of the plane,  she will be doing her utmost just to resist playing with all the buttons and pedals in front of her,  which may impact upon our flight !! One scenic flight of the Great Barrier reef,  my first contact coming up,  I will be joining the millions of people before me who have done this,  congratulations, way to make us feel special pilot-guide Onboard we have 4 Japanese people who when asked where they were from said '4people', must be a very small place, a French couple and an American couple and me. With hardly a breath of wind well 110 04,  according to my headset, on the runway. We lifted up smoothly and over the Whitsundays (which I find haven't told you apparently should be could Monday as they got the days wrong,  at least that's what someone in my hostel said so must be true!) and out to the Grea...

Money saving overnight bus where the air con is on so cold that yet again I am thankful for my sleeping liner which comes into its own despite having trousers and Jumper on. I arrive in Airlie at about 0715 and I am off Ocean rafting at 1000, so I toddle along to my hostel in the middle of town it is called Magnums and proudly presents itself as Australia's biggest party bar open until 0230......whoooooo hooooo. Not sure how my 2100 bed time is going to work. So I go to drop my bags off for now as I can't check in.  However,  despite already paying to stay there that night there wasn't to charge me $2 to look after my bag where the rib is opened for strictly 5 mins at approximately the following times. Work that out!  In the end I got it it free of charge but could aid to find out the cost of using a toilet there when I hadn't checked in so went off to find my OCEAN RAFTING FUN.  A big yellow 30 seater rib that the driver carved around the ocean making many ...

It has become apparent that after 35 years old something happens,  I am not sure what though in theory I have made the transition.  But suddenly you can no longer hang with those younger than you and your options become more limited, and after 40 you have to be aware that swimming and snorkeling may over exert you...... Holy chap. Anyway it made me question if ever asked what age do I say but also what do you wide to having done without giving away your age,  or is my grey hair already producing a lost battle.  I love to think people just see the lovely dry straw  blonde I apart to be going in places. So after my Fraser Island tour I returned to my hostel at Rainbow Beach. Fraser of rainbow beach which is actually one and the same as dingos, so if you are going book don't be fooled,  and this time there is a full house in my dorm. Two German girls travelling together, one is either upset or ill or both, but they are both smiling and chatty and by the mo...

After another buffet meal,  it's no wonder people put on weight traveling..... Sit on bus.... See sight..... Sit on bus.... All you can eat..... Sit on bus..... See sight.... All you can eat He he well today we set off to Lake G with a 45 min walk through the sand and the forrest and then suddenly boom it opens up and there are these green or brownish coloured fresh water lakes with steep sided dunes and no one there.  Fresh sand for our feet to leave their imprint on.  These lakes have small fish and cat fish so felt a bit creepy to swim in but plenty warm enough There are 40 of us on our tour of a cross section of groups, that kind of fall into the following categories 1 The retirees- at least two of them remind me of mum none of my dad and have reassured me it's OK to travel by myself their children do it too! 2. The couples -  all shapes and sizes but most seem to have a campervan and are wanting to actually become Australian citizens and the girls wea...

I made it to Rainbow Beach at just before 1600 and checked into the hostel.  There was only about 15 people on our bus up from Brisbane the rest piled out at Noosa on the way.  The welcoming party for the Bellgrooves! The hostel is smart,  has a $7 dinner and free pancakes in the morning,  when you check in they give you a tin plate bowl and mug as if you were in a prison which is pretty novel and pretty sensible.  In my 6 bunk dorm I am the only person,  so I have an ensuite room for $22 can't complain at that.  Yes I have to admit I haven't got round to looking at couch surfing yet probably because I don't really know where I am going! Anyway as soon as I get here there is the opportunity to go sandboarding and watch a sunset. Now the last time I went sandboarding one person broke their ankle and another their collar bike,  not me I loved it but I decided I would pop the trainers on and go for a run and head up for the sunset. Carlo Sandblo...

'Wild' with Reese Witherspoon hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, that's the movie that I didn't finish when I landed in Hong Kong and it wasn't on on the next flight. Anyone want to tell me how it ends.....? Anyway I land in Australia where the whole immigration thing is super automated and you get a ticket from one place then go to another but don't lose that before leaving as the customs man wants it. He looks for maybe a blink of an eye at the paperwork and says EXIT Pointing left in case I really didn't understand him! Welcome to Australia. Anyway I catch the train into Brisbane City, it's 0700 the work rush hour and yet it feels like there are people missing. Brisbane feels like a big city but with the people missing. People here are very friendly or I looked really confused. 5 different people stopped to ask if I was OK was I lost do I need a hand, as I walked around with my map out. I think I confused them more with, my answer 'no I am not...

So this is just a short blog, more a reminder to people of whereas go, as I head out to the wedding of the year in Australia. Jo and Dale are getting married and the on-tour gang are getting back together. Weddings are expensive they say but how can you turn down an invite Oz. A great excuse to go and see a bit more of a very large country, in surface area but small in population, as it would appear a large part of it is blinking hot and very barren. I am not sure where I am going to go or how but with a few pennies I am hoping couch surfing and hitch hiking will give me some interesting experiences. But as always  despite knowing my departure time for at least a month the days ticked by and I found myself this morning hungover more than ever (Ellie D perhaps you can tell me how I got home) and holding onto the big white telephone (I am stealing that Abby) head throbbing thinking how am I going to pack and get to the airport! Nevermind leaving to house in some semblance for Els to r...