Hello Sydney, goodbye Brucetta

Well, I've arrived in Sydney and this is where the second part of my journey ends.

It's been along and not very winding road from Perth but after 17818km, over 547 dead roos, 4 run ins with the police (three due to my lack of care for Brucetta and one as I was drinking while sat on the bonnet in a no Alcohol zone), countless rocks (both for looking at and jumping off) and loads of "big things" made of fiber glass and concrete (including a big banana, a giant shrimp, huge oyster and god knows what else that Australians call tourist attractions) I've finally made it to Sydney

Brucetta isn't looking or sounding quiet as sprightly as she used to so not overly confident of being able to sell her on. That said I have religiously topped up the oil, checked the tires and water as well tying the bumpers back on with bits of string and acquiring a set of fluffy dice for the rear view mirror so you never know, here's hoping for a gullible gap year student!

After leaving Byron and getting drunk back in Brisbane for a few more days (for old times sake I headed south to the Blue mountains which, in my humble opinion are beautiful. The air feels alpine and the scenery of massive cliffs, waterfalls and eucalyptus forests takes some beating. Unfortunately being pretty much penniless I couldn't hang around for anywhere near long enough.

From the Blue mountains it was back to the coast to hit the bright lights of Sydney. On first seeing the harbour bridge and the opera house they some how didn't seem real. Having seen their picture everywhere I've been, and having traveled so far to get here actually seeing them seemed a little strange. That said they really are very impressive as is the rest of the city.

So what now, as I said I'm now fairly bankrupt so have to save a few pennies to continue the journey down through Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide before crossing the southern deserts to get back to where it all started in Perth.

Though I was offered better paying work as a male prostitute (gay unfortunately - Kings Cross really is a lovely neighborhood) when drunk the other night I started some easily found warehouse work - very exciting - today as a stop gap until I can pull my finger out and get something a bit more permanent and better paid. Because of this new found work commitment I'm due to become a bit dull for the next few months (no witty comments please) so I wont even have this low standard of exciting news to pass on until I hit the road again but I'll be sure to keep you all up to speed on the highlights of Sydney.

So, until the next time I hope you're all having fun,

JP

Jolly Swagman Backpackers
Kings Cross
Sydney
NSW
Australia

Surfs up!

Well I'm now in back in Brisbane after a couple of weeks in Byron Bay and have been in and out of my my fourth Australian state - New South Wales - exciting isn't it! As I really knew it would be, the last night in Brisbane last time round turned out to be a large one but thankfully didn't have very far to travel the next day so got to Surfers Paradise unscathed. Unfortunately Surfers Paradise wasn't really my idea of paradise (too many tower blocks, too little of anything else) so didn't hang around there. That said, did make one very important move at the northern end of the Gold Coast - I bought myself a quite beautiful surf board!

I'm please to report that Byron Bay is far more like paradise and I made full use of my really rather perfect surf board there (she's 6'6" long, 18.25" wide and 2.25" thick - for anyone that doesn't know that's fairly small and she's acquired the affectionate name of "the bitch!"). Now in the right hands she has the aqua-dynamics of a shark, the grace of a swan and the agility and speed of a cheetah, however for me she's taking some taming, that said I'm confident given time ......

Other exciting news from here includes being ambushed by a school of dolphins! was paddling out and saw a few fins in the water, being a little hung-over and a little jumpy was sure they were sharks (there was an attack here a few weeks ago) but moments later I was surrounded on all sides by about 11 dolphins, unfortunately tried to follow them and almost immediately got hit by a huge wave as I wasn't paying any attention to the sea but there you go ,well worth it.

I also took a trip to a few of the local towns and villages, principally the largest town in the area, a place called Lismore (sorry Jane, didn't look all that so just drove through but looked nice!) and the infamous village of Nimbin (interestingly dirty little place full of people that matched it perfectly!).

How for those of you that don't know of Nimbin it's a village of only around 1300 people that's known far and wide due to the local police force's some what relaxed attitude towards the enforcement of drug laws. Because of this it's as good as impossible to walk up the main street (and only street as it happens) without tripping over stoned hippies and being offered bag after bag of the areas finest weed along with any other drug you may care for!

Now being the healthy clean living sort you all know me to be I obviously declined the offers of drugs but the local hippy atmosphere of free love, health and freedom had clearly got to me somehow so in an effort to feed some money into what could only be described as a fairly run down mess of a place I decided to invest in what appeared to be the only other local industry - the home cooked cakes and biscuits market! I am, I admit, keen for everyone to be free to make a healthy profit from their entrepreneurial enterprises but to be honest, I think $10 for a few badly cooked cookies is a bit steep, (they really weren't that tasty and they had a strange grainy texture) I mean I could probably of bough 5 packs of McVitise for the same price! That said they must of had some great nutritious value a they really perked me up, from having been fairly uninspired by the local museum and village in general Dave and I had a very entertaining evening relaxing with some of the funnies people I've met to date!

Other than that I'm trying to save money so not doing a great deal ,well except going scuba diving ..... Having been told I really had to do it I by just about everyone I decided I had to do it and as there's a place called Julian Rocks just off Byron Bay where the currents from north and south meet providing a home for all sorts of aquatic live it seemed like the perfect location! As appears to be a running theme with my trip I got really lucky with the group I learnt with and had a great few days first in the pool then up to 18m under the sea swimming around with sharks, turtles and fish of all shapes and sizes, only real problem is that it's added another rather expensive activity to the list of thinks I really have to do again!

And that's me in Byron, so peace love and happiness to you all

Laters

Jonathan

Internet Cafe
Brisbane
Queensland
Australia