Australia and New Zealand Trip 2004

By Kevin Mayes

During my trip, I kept my website updated as and when I could. This document is a copy of the website logs I kept whilst traveling. It is 20 pages and highlights some of the exciting activities I got up to whilst I was away for 6 months.

Arrive Singapore Airport — 30/01/2004

Took off yesterday for a 14-hour flight to Singapore airport. There is a 6-hour wait at this terminal; however, finding stuff to do during this time won’t be a problem. Singapore airport is a huge shopping mall; it comes with a swimming pool, gym, short-stay hotel, and of course, shops.

Already meeting people: a chap called Henry flying to Adelaide to build a house! Mike and Natalie are sharing my row for the 14-hour flight. Both are heading to Melbourne—Natalie going home, Mike on holiday.

Singapore Airlines rocks; the economy seats have plenty of room, and the staff couldn’t do enough to help. If you wanted wine or beer or Coke or orange, or extra food, you got it—no questions. One cabin crew spotted the MPUK shirt I had on; after explaining who they were, we got chatting about LAN gaming. Top man; gave us a running commentary as we approached the Singapore airport.

Got another couple of hours to kill. I think I’ll go see if the pool is open.

Sunny Sydney — 01/02/2004

7 1/2 hours after the delights of Singapore airport (well worth visiting even if you’re just transferring), I arrived at Sydney airport. Breezed through customs (well, it took 1 1/2 hours due to the single line for all foreigners and several lines for Aussies at customs), got my VISA printed and placed in my passport, then telephoned my hostel.

The hostel arranged a free taxi transfer from the airport. Once I sorted my stuff out, I walked to Mrs Macquarie’s Point. From here, I took the “Beanz” photo of the Opera House being dwarfed by the bridge. “Dwarfed” is the right term; Sydney Harbour Bridge is MASSIVE. Anyways, I then walked to the Opera House, the City, then back to the hostel. Finally, jetlag kicked in and I slept from 6 PM to 8 AM the next day.

This morning, I spent time in the city centre exploring the shops :). In the afternoon, I popped down to the Opera House for a proper look. However, it’s a con: you cannot get past the gift shop if you want a look inside. Of course, they do guided tours for OZ$, but the information desk was very busy and had the same customer at the front of the line after I spent 10 minutes in the gift shop. Tsk.

So, I wandered back through the Royal Gardens and spotted my first OZ spider. It was large—no, HUGE. I was reliably informed by a passer-by it was a Black Widow. I took their word for it, as I wasn’t going to move in for a closer look. :)

Stormy Sydney — 04/02/2004

I’ve done so much since the last post. On Tuesday, I took a boat cruise around the harbour. Despite the threatening rain, the skies cleared and it was excellent. A boat cruise is really a good way to see how big Sydney Harbour really is. Afterwards, I wandered around Darling Harbour, which is a posh shopping and entertainment area.

Tuesday evening, a large group of us from the hostel hit the World Bar. Free beer was offered for parties over 10 people—we managed that no problem! After the free beer was consumed, we carried on with pitchers of beer costing just $8. It was a late night. :)

Wednesday was a wash-out; the showers were frequent and heavy. I managed to walk around the city in the morning, dodging the showers. In the afternoon it cleared, so I headed to Bondi Beach. Bondi is an unsurprising stretch of beach; I was only there for about half an hour when the rain started again. This time it didn’t look like it was going to stop, so I headed back to the hostel.

Wednesday night, we all went out to O’Malley’s bar. Armed with several free drink vouchers, we sat at the bar enjoying our “free” beers. Once the free rounds had been drunk, we just carried on drinking.

It’s most confusing: here, bars don’t have a closing time as such. Most will stay open for as long as there are people drinking. Every time the bar staff get a tip, they ring a bell. Every time I heard the bell, I thought it was “last orders!” Anyways, I’m suffering for it this morning. :)

Scorcho! — 06/02/2004

From rainy Wednesday to frying Friday, the weather is changing here for the better. Today 30°C; tomorrow it could be as high as 34°C.

Today we headed to Manly, which involved a 1/2 hour ferry ride up Sydney Harbour. Manly is a large resort/suburb with a couple of really nice beaches. Think Blackpool: remove the tatty arcades, dirty beaches, and cold sea, add loads of hot sunshine, and you’ve got Manly.

It was great walking along the shore, wading in the ocean, and watching sunbathers enjoying the sun. Tomorrow I head for the mountains for a day.

Blue Mountains — 07/02/2004

Saturday, I took a trip to the Blue Mountains. The company who organised the trip is called OZ Experience, and I can thoroughly recommend them. The driver was a laugh, and unlike the UK, there was no messing about when it came to leaving an area.

The driver would pull up and say, “Get back here at 12:30 or I’ll go without you; now get off my bus.” He wasn’t kidding either—one person failed to return to the bus on time when we visited Scenic World, and he was left behind!!

Ahhh, Scenic World—what a pretty name, so it’s very ironic that the first thing you see when you arrive is a multi-story carpark!! Once you’ve walked through the carpark, the walk down the side of the mountain is impressive. There are some 880 steps to the “bottom” of the trail, usually with sheer drops on the left or right side of the path!! The scenery was beautiful. At the bottom, we took the world’s steepest railway ride back to the top. It was really steep—I think one section is at an angle of 58°, and there are no lap bars or restraints holding you in. I have a great story about the rollercoaster at Scenic World; I’ll have to write it down and tell you if I come back.

Oh, Saturday also marks the day I met (and fed) my first kangaroo, and I even got to pat a cuddly koala. Photos to follow.

10/02/2004 | Burn baby burn!

What’s been happening for the past three days?

Well, on Sunday, we visited Manly Beach; it was crowded. A most excellent beach and warm sea. When we arrived, we went into the sea and messed about in the surf. It was a good thing really, as the bluebottle jellyfish decided to join in the fun later in the afternoon. They aren’t killers, but they can certainly give you a nasty sting. I was a bit red from sunburn despite using plenty of Factor 30!! and covering up.

Monday, we visited the Sky Tower (see photo section). It is a big tower in the sky (surprisingly!), offering excellent views of Sydney. Afterwards, we took a wander through The Rocks and over the Harbour Bridge, then caught a ferry back!.

Today, I visited the Aquarium and petted some sharks. It wasn’t bad, then I wandered over to the casino, which was huge!. Didn’t really bother with gambling as the lowest stake seemed to be $10. Finally, I had a go at the didgeridoo.

Home and Away — 12/02/2004

On Thursday, we hopped onto a bus for a 90-minute journey to Palm Beach. With the many beaches dotted around Sydney, what is so special about Palm Beach, I hear you ask?

Well, Palm Beach is better known as Summer Bay, the location for the Aussie soap Home and Away. Yes, next time you watch it, remember I’ve been on that beach and at the surf club. Check out the pictures in the Summer Bay section.

Sleeping with the enemy — 15/02/2004

Travelled out of Sydney on Saturday. Heading for Byron Bay; however, we’re not travelling directly—oh no, we are taking the scenic route.

Travelled all day to Warringbungles campsite. Only brief stops en route for food and drink. Warringbungles is in the middle of nowhere. No mobile signal, no TV, and no radio. We purchased a few beers from a bottle shop before we arrived at the camp, and to be honest, I’m glad we did.

The temp for the day averaged 40°; the campsite had small cabins sleeping 8 people. Except we didn’t get to just sleep with other people. Oh no, we shared the room with countless spiders (and other large bugs). Imagine trying to sleep in tropical heat, knowing there is at least one spider in the room that is as big as your hand, and can be potentially deadly. We were re-assured with the knowledge there are no funnel-web spiders in the area, only redbacks.

After consuming enough beer to ensure we didn’t care about the big bugs, we attempted to sleep. 8 people, small room, no aircon—it ensured a nice sweaty night for us all. Needless to say, we were all glad to leave THAT campsite.

The next day… — 19/02/2004

The following day, we were typical tourists and stopped several times whilst travelling on to Bingara.

We stopped en route at a glacier, where we took a dip. The outside temp in the shade was 43°C. Bingara is so remote it doesn’t have any mobile signal, radio, or TV. To get to it, the coach had to drive down a long gravel road.

We arrived in Bingara and stayed in the Hotel Royal, which was really a pub. The evening was spent playing cards and drinking in the nice air-conditioned pub.

Bingara to Byron — 19/02/2004

Up early the next day for horse riding. Got down to the stables for 8 AM, where they arrange a “horsey” for each of us. There were 34 of us riding that morning, and I got the biggest horse of the lot… Pal.

Horse riding was interesting; I’m sure Pal didn’t really like me. He kept leading me through low trees and into bushes. If there was an easy way up a hill, every other horse would take it; Pal, however, picked a more challenging route. Anyways, after about 90 mins of riding, we stopped and went swimming with the horses in the river. We even sort of “water skied” with the horses, hanging onto the tail whilst the horse went through the water. After 30 mins, we returned back to the stables, then the hotel for a quick shower and back on the bus to Byron Bay.

We arrived at Byron Bay on Monday. That evening, we went to Cheeky Monkey’s. Cheeky Monkey’s is a restaurant that becomes a nightclub. They play lots of silly games, which our coach party were very good at. Mike managed to win two pitchers of beer, and the entire coach party (41 people) managed to win a shot of tequila. It was a most excellent night.

Byron Bay — 19/02/2004

We are staying in Byron Bay’s backpackers village, and it has to be the most luxury backpackers hostel available. We have our own apartment, shared between 8 people. This means our own kitchen, fridge, bathroom, and a small shared rear garden.

Byron has some nice beaches and the best surf for beginners. On Tuesday, we scouted the area. Wednesday, we went to the beach for a go on our free “hire” surfboards. Surfing is so much fun, but we are going to need lessons to progress. I’ve also noticed the sport of tray sliding has been adopted by the Aussies. They call it skimboarding, and it’s the same as tray sliding except they do it outside on the beach (in the surf).

On Thursday, we hired some pushbikes and explored the area. I’ll upload photos when I can find somewhere that lets me.

Surfing Byron Bay — 20/02/2004

On Friday, it was time for surfing lessons. We were picked up by a minivan and taken along to a “good” spot on Byron beach. After initial instructions on the beach, we headed out into the surf. Unfortunately, the surf today wasn’t particularly good, but it was adequate for learning on.

We spent about 90 mins in the water and were standing on our boards riding the waves like a pro by the end of it. Surfing is great fun, and I recommend anyone to have at least one lesson to learn the basics. Check out our pictures in the Byron Surf Gallery.

Gold Coast… Surfers Paradise — 22/02/2004

We’ve now relocated to Surfers Paradise, home of the majority of Aussie theme parks and tourist attractions. We have a full week ahead of us. Today is Dreamworld, and then for the rest of the week, its Movie World, Wet ‘n’ Wild, and Sea World. Unfortunately, where we are staying is in the middle of nowhere, thus accessing this site to keep it updated will be difficult.

Dreamworld — 23/02/2004

Hopped on the bus today to visit Dreamworld, a medium-sized theme park to the north of Surfers.

Arrived at 9:30 AM; had pre-paid tickets so walked straight in. The park was great but had a limited number of rides. The rollercoaster (Cyclone) was OK—nothing too outstanding. It starts slowly, eventually speeds up for a corkscrew and loop before finishing. Way too short to be fun. The best rides were the Giant Drop and Tower of Terror. The Giant Drop takes you up 39 stories, then just drops you straight down. Most excellent, and very scary. The Tower of Terror launches you down a track which then goes vertical; you hang there for a few seconds before going backwards towards earth. Most fun! Had a good day; no queues and the sun stayed behind clouds until the afternoon (so not too hot).

Sea World & Movie World — 26/02/2004

On Tuesday, it poured with rain, so it was a perfect day to visit Sea World. Sea World was pretty empty, meaning we got front seats for all the shows they were doing. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to swim with the dolphins :( as it was too hot for them. Maybe whilst in Brisbane, we will get a chance to pop back and give it a go. Despite the rain, we had a great time.

On Wednesday, we went to Warner Bros. Movie World. The park is very small, but the rides it does have are most excellent. Lethal Weapon rollercoaster was very extreme, Wild River Log Flume very wet, and Batman 2 VR ride very rough. The best ride/rollercoaster is the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster. Despite the “children’s” theme to the rollercoaster, it certainly isn’t one for the kids. Most excellent day, and we managed to beat the crowds to all the attractions.

Wet ‘n’ Wild — 26/02/2004

On Thursday, we visited Wet ‘n’ Wild, a water park next to Movie World. The slides and flumes were good fun, but unfortunately, the queues started to get excessive. We managed to do all the attractions once, so it wasn’t too bad. Most evenings we spend playing volleyball back at the hostel, followed by a couple of beers.

Movin’ on — 28/02/2004

On Friday, we spent another half day at Movie World. Our original plans to go to Wet ‘n’ Wild were quashed when we saw the queues outside the park. The afternoon was spent playing tennis and volleyball back at the hostel.

Saturday, we spent our time in Surfers CBD, looking around shops and generally taking it easy. We are moving on to Brisbane on Sunday.

Brisbane — 01/03/2004

We’re currently staying in Brisbane. Brisbane is a big city, with plenty of shopping and surprisingly little else to do. It isn’t on the coast, so there are no beaches (except a small fake one). How long we stay here depends on what jobs are available.

Rain In Brisbane — 06/03/2004

It really knows how to chuck it down in OZ. A very tropical storm: strong winds, water everywhere—it’s like walking in a carwash. Used the time to update the photo galleries with a major update. Added Surfers, Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World, and Brisbane pictures to the gallery. Enjoy!

Sunny Brisbane — 16/03/2004

Still in Brisbane; done loads of walking. Took more photos—check the Sunny Brisbane Album.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — 23/03/2004

On Monday, we decided to head off to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It’s a smallish zoo on the outskirts of Brisbane and it is rather excellent. A small $12 admission fee, and we were in and heading straight for the Koala Photo Area. They have a cool policy regarding photos: so long as you purchase ONE photo holding a koala, they will take many more with your camera for you.

After that, we bought some Roo Food and headed into the kangaroo area. OMG, so many kangaroos, and once they see you’ve got food, they are your friend. At one point, I had a mob of Roos bouncing towards me, and I ended up surrounded by them for a few minutes. Unfortunately, Mike didn’t get a picture, as some large lady in a bright red top decided to give chase, and thus they bounded away. It was a rather excellent day.

Skydiving from 14,000ft!! — 05/04/2004

On Friday, we decided to book our future trips and prepare for onwards travel. Whilst doing this, we also booked a skydive from a local company in Brisbane (Redcliffe City Skydiving). The deciding factor for the skydive was they were the only ones offering a free meal + free t-shirt upon successfully completing the jump.

We were due to jump on Saturday from 12,000ft; however, the weather wasn’t in our favour and it was cancelled before we even left the hostel. So we rebooked for Sunday. We got picked up at 8:30 AM and taken to Redcliffe (30kms north of Brisbane!). We arrived, filled in all the paperwork, got suited up and taken down to the airfield. Unfortunately, upon arriving, we were missing one vital piece of equipment: THE PLANE!!! Half an hour later, the plane landed, but then the jump was cancelled as bad weather rolled in. We went back to the beach to wait to see if the weather cleared. It looked like it would, we got suited up, started to go to the airfield and then… cancelled again. This just wasn’t our day. In the end, the organisers decided to cancel the jumps for the day, and we were taken back to the city.

We rebooked for Monday, 9:30 AM. We got picked up from the city again and arrived at Suttons Beach. There were 6 of us. It was looking overcast (not good), but a very large clear spot was heading our way, and the jump was ON! We got suited up, taken to the airfield and boarded a VERY SMALL plane. Six blokes + one pilot crammed into this little plane, and it took off and we were away!! The plane slowly climbed to 10,000ft (the height for the first jump). Nerves were building as we crawled up, but the instructors were good, kept us calm. At 10,000ft, the first pair jumped. The plane then continued to climb to 14,000ft. The door opened, and the rush of air was incredible. My instructor and I shuffled to the edge, my feet dangling over the side of the plane. Then, we just leaned forward and fell.

The freefall lasted for about 60 seconds. It’s a sensation that is hard to describe—you don’t feel like you are falling, more like you are being supported by a massive cushion of air. At 5,000ft, the parachute opened with a jerk, and then it was just peaceful. We drifted down toward Suttons Beach, and the view of the coastline was spectacular. We landed softly on the sand, and the adrenaline was pumping for hours afterward. Definitely the highlight of the trip so far!

Hervey Bay and Fraser Island — 12/04/2004

We left Brisbane on Wednesday and headed north to Hervey Bay. This is the gateway to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.

On Friday, we started our three-day self-drive safari. There were 11 of us in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Driving on the sand is tricky, especially when the tide is coming in and you have to dodge the waves on the “highway” (which is just the beach!). We camped behind the dunes, and the dingoes were everywhere. They look like cute dogs, but you have to be careful as they are wild animals and can be quite aggressive if they think you have food.

We visited Lake McKenzie, which has the clearest blue water and whitest sand I have ever seen. We also floated down Eli Creek and saw the Maheno shipwreck rusting away on the shore. It was a brilliant three days, although I am now covered in sand and desperate for a proper shower!

The Whitsundays - Sailing the Dream — 20/04/2004

After a long overnight bus journey, we arrived in Airlie Beach. This is where all the sailing trips for the Whitsunday Islands depart from. We booked a three-day, two-night trip on a racing yacht called The Broomstick.

Sailing through the islands was amazing. We visited Whitehaven Beach, which is famous for its 98% pure silica sand—it’s so fine it squeaks when you walk on it! We spent the days snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, seeing turtles, rays, and thousands of colorful fish. Sleeping on a boat was a new experience, especially when the sea got a bit choppy, but waking up to the sunrise over the islands made it all worth it.

Magnetic Island — 28/04/2004

Next stop: Townsville, and then a quick ferry over to Magnetic Island (or “Maggie” as the locals call it). We stayed at a place called Base, which is right on the beach.

The best way to see the island is by hiring a “moke”—a tiny, doorless car. We spent the day driving around to the different bays. We did the Forts Walk and were lucky enough to spot several wild koalas hanging out in the trees. In the evening, we fed the rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay. They are so tame they come right up to you and eat out of your hand!

Cairns - The End of the Road (Almost) — 05/05/2004

I have finally reached Cairns, the northernmost point of this leg of the journey. It’s a real backpacker hub, and the lagoon in the center of town is the place to be, as you can’t swim in the ocean here because of the “salties” (crocodiles) and stingers.

I took a trip up to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the reef. We went on a croc-spotting cruise on the Daintree River and saw a massive one sunning itself on the bank. I also took the Kuranda Scenic Railway up into the mountains and the Skyrail cable car back down over the top of the canopy.

I’ve got a few more days here to relax before I head back down to Sydney to catch my flight to New Zealand. Australia has been an absolute blast, but I’m ready for the next adventure!

Goodbye Australia, Kia Ora New Zealand! — 15/05/2004

Back in Sydney for a final couple of nights. It felt strange being back where it all started four months ago. I went back to the Opera House for one last look and had a final beer at the World Bar for old times’ sake.

I’m currently sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Christchurch. Australia has been everything I hoped for and more—the people, the wildlife, and the sheer scale of the place is mind-blowing.

New Zealand, here I come!

Christchurch and the Southern Alps — 20/05/2004

Arrived in Christchurch, and the first thing I noticed was the temperature—it’s freezing compared to Queensland! Christchurch feels very English with its cathedral and the river Avon.

I’ve picked up my campervan, which will be my home for the next month. I headed west toward the Southern Alps. The scenery is totally different from Australia—huge snow-capped mountains and turquoise glacial lakes. I visited Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd. The stars at night are incredible out here; I’ve never seen the Milky Way so clearly.

Next stop: Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world!

Queenstown - Adrenaline Overload — 25/05/2004

I finally made it to Queenstown, and boy, it lives up to the hype. It is nestled right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables mountain range as a backdrop. This place is beautiful, but I didn’t come here just for the views.

On Thursday, I did it—the Nevis Highwire Bungy. 134 meters (440ft) of pure terror. You have to take a cable car out to a pod suspended in the middle of a valley. Looking down was a mistake! The freefall lasts for about 8.5 seconds. The feeling of your stomach staying at the top while your body drops is insane. Once the cord snapped me back up, the relief was massive.

Today, I did the Shotover Jet, which involves a high-speed boat blast through narrow canyons. The driver gets so close to the rock walls you think you’re going to lose an arm, and then he does a 360-degree spin out of nowhere. I’m officially spent, both physically and financially!

Glaciers and Ghost Towns — 30/05/2004

Leaving the adrenaline of Queenstown behind, I drove up the West Coast. This road is spectacular but exhausting—lots of twists and turns.

I stopped at Franz Josef Glacier. It’s a strange sight to see a massive river of ice surrounded by temperate rainforest. I did a guided hike onto the ice itself. Wearing “crampons” (spikes on your boots) for the first time was weird, but walking through ice tunnels and seeing the deep blue of the crevasses was incredible. You can really see how much the glacier has retreated lately.

Stayed in a tiny place called Ross tonight, an old gold-mining town. It feels like time forgot this side of the island.

Crossing to the North Island — 04/06/2004

Caught the Interislander ferry from Picton to Wellington. They call it one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world, and sailing through the Marlborough Sounds, I can see why.

Wellington is a cool city—very windy, though! Spent the day at Te Papa, the national museum. It’s huge and has some amazing exhibits on Maori culture and the volcanic history of the islands. I’m looking forward to getting into the geothermal areas further north.

Rotorua - The Sulfur City — 10/06/2004

You can smell Rotorua before you see it! The whole place smells like rotten eggs because of all the sulfur. It’s a geothermal wonderland—steam just rises out of the drains in the street.

I visited Te Puia to see the Pohutu Geyser erupt. It shoots water about 30 meters into the air. I also spent an evening at a Mitai Maori Village. We saw a Haka performed, watched how they cook food in a “Hangi” (an earth oven), and learned about their history. It was a very powerful experience.

Today, I went “Zorbing.” Basically, you get inside a giant plastic ball with some water and get rolled down a hill. It’s like being in a human washing machine. Completely pointless but hilarious.

Waitomo Caves and the Glowworms — 15/06/2004

Headed west to Waitomo to see the caves. I did the “Black Labyrinth” tour, which involves cave tubing. You put on a thick wetsuit, grab an inner tube, and float through underground rivers in the dark.

The highlight was when we turned our headlamps off. The ceiling of the cave was covered in thousands of tiny blue glowworms. It looked like the night sky was right above our heads. We even had to jump backward off a small underground waterfall into the pitch black. My wetsuit had a hole in it, so the water was freezing, but the experience was 10/10.

22/06/2004 | Auckland and Heading Home

I’ve reached Auckland, the “City of Sails,” which marks the end of my six-month journey. I’ve sold the campervan (got a decent price for it too!) and I’m staying in a hostel near the Sky Tower for my final few nights.

It’s a strange feeling knowing that in 48 hours, I’ll be back in the UK. I’ve traveled thousands of miles, met hundreds of people, fed kangaroos, jumped out of planes, and lived out of a backpack. Looking back at these logs, I realized how much I’ve seen. Australia was all about the sun and the vastness, while New Zealand was about the rugged beauty and the madness of the adventure sports.

Time to pack the bag one last time and head for the airport. It’s been the trip of a lifetime.

Kevin Mayes, 2004.