""Hello.....

Is it me your looking for""....

Sorry, still being called Lionel!!.. Mind you, I may get my mop cut later today, I can pull my fringe down to the end of my nose now!!...

Uploaded some new pictures... Surf Camp, some random ones off Nicola's camera since arriving back in Sydney, along with Brisbane too!!

Nothing much to report at the moment, just been out running and went for a couple of beers yesterday for paddys day - but was back by 10pm... Still trying to find another job, for when my one runs out next week... Fancy trying my hand at something different to data-entry, so see what I come across... Also, once I find something, think I may get an apartment in Sydney, getting a bit bored of hostel life, even when HCB is the best ever...

Back to job searching , enjoy the pictures...

G :0)

Sydneysider....

I know it's been yet another life time since I wrote...

But in all honestly it's been a bit low key since I come back to Sydney, well after the 1st week at least...
Like I've said I'm currently working, but only 3 days a week - with the exception of this week where I'm working 5days...bloody knackering!

It's really strange at the moment, as everyone I seem to of meet is leaving either for the some place new or to go home. Since I got back Nick & Vicky, Wolf and Riikka have left. And over the next couple of weeks I will be losing everyone else. I understand it comes with traveling, but sometimes it's just hard to think you have to start all over again and meet new people - sometime you just can't be arsed.

Like I said apart from working I haven't been up to a great deal. Had a couple of nights out - think the best was the full moon party at The Gaff - we made tee's before and mine had my new nickname on the back..."LIONEL"... with a the famous words..."Hello, is it me your looking for" written on the front... good hey!!
I've missed a few of the bigger nights out, mainly everyone's leaving do's, just because I need to watch the cents' (doesn't really work that) at the moment - especially with The Ste coming out. But it's maybe does me a good thing... I am currently back running - Andrew, Ben and I went out on Monday for a jog - and I have been off the booze since Sunday and Saturday was a quite affair really. So at the moment both my wallet and liver are on holiday!! Been down to Bondi beach again over the weekend, had a BBQ and mucked about in the sea... kinda getting into just relaxing by the beach now... may even get a few white bits if I keep it up!!!

So with keeping off the beer I've been entertaining myself in other ways - mainly watching DVDs and stuff. I meet a girl, Riikka from Finland, she was in 315 when I got back and I have spent a lot of time with her - or I did until the other evening as she had her flight home too!!... But she fancies coming over to England with some of her mates so think we will meet up again....
It's really the same story with everyone, even with everyone heading off on their own little missions we're all still keeping in touch, with the power of FaceBook, and I'm sure there will be a great reunion at some point. I'm still hoping to send some Gooon home - just in case....

At it currently stands this is my plans for the next few months... Work...Get some cash together and around June either head off to NZ - which is my maid thought or travel the West Coast of Australia, end of the day I want to do both so we'll see... The only way this may change is if some of the gang, head out to Asia at the back end of July then I will go there instead....

I hope everyone is well at home... One or two of you have been in contact, which is great... So please down for get me and I will try and do this blog more often... Sure I write that at the end of each blog...

All is good and I don't regret anything or want to head home anytime soon... G xxxxxxxx ;0)

PS. I will post some new pictures this week too!!!...

Lionel...

That is officially my new name at the hostel... If only I had a roll neck... I wondering if Andy's mate from Wilmslow will borrow me one!!

Sorry this is super short... I am fine and well, just working and keeping it low key...kinda!!... Will explain all in a real blog this week, once I have time to upload new pictures and stuff...

I hope everyone is well and I will be back with a full report by the end of the week....

G x

Rough...

Why can't I just stop drinking the Goon and go to bed... Went out yesterday to a club/rave thing with Nick, Vicky, Sol, Gemma, Nic and Hanna..it was a little bit of a messy especially as it begun at 2pm so we were on it well before then!... At the end of the night we went back to the hostel and then got on the Goon till about 6am... Frederick, one of my room mates, shoved M&M's up some sleeping girls nose - was was highly amusing!!...

I guess those of you who have been on Facebook this week know I got jumped the other night and had my mobile and watch taken... I was a little sore the last few days, but i'm more or less back to normal now... I have a new mobile number, which is 0061411393798 - just incase anyone wants to chat...

Not really much going on, only working 3 days a week at present so just chilling out watching tv and movies most other days... I may go to the beach tomorrow, see how I feel in the morning though...

Well that's all really, I'm a bit shot so off to buy some bread then off for a wee nap...

Swings and Roundabouts...

...And yet again I take forever to update my blog...

So what have I been up to...Hmmm....

Lets start with Fraser Island... For those of you what don't know Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world... And some some reason they let people like me drive about in a 4x4 on it!

Basically Glenn and I teamed up with 9 other people at our hostel and we went camping on Fraser for 2 nights and 3 days, completely left to our own devices. And it was amazing!!
We were know as team 'E'.. our group was a mix of Dutch, German, Swedish, Aussie and English and we all got on so well, which was a good thing considering we were all together in one jeep most of the time.
As part of the trip we got all our food, so we only have to decide on how much beer to take... In the end we went for something like 3 crates of beer and 5 boxes of goon... Evidently, this was not enough and on the second night we had to buy some more!
We drove about visiting the sights of the island, like the lakes and jumping about in the sea for most of the 1st day. In the evening, some of us built the camp, tents, ect and the others cooked. Then as evening fell we all got chatting and played some drinking games... I evening managed to take some time out to just relax with a beer and lie down and just take in the stars, it was such a beautiful sight...
The next day we visited Champagne pools and Indian Head at the far north of the island, however due to the rough seas we moved onto a little beach rather than stay at the pools with the rocky paths.
I took over the driving for the rest of the afternoon, and it was great fun skidding about on the sand as we drove along listening and singing along to Queen on the MP3 player... Before we set up camp for the final evening we visited a freshwater creek. It was cold but very refreshing.
The evening consisted of more beverages and for me an early night as I fell asleep, mainly from to much beer!! hehe...
On our final day we stoped off at Lake mckenzie for the day - we ended up renaming it Pond Macca - not to sure why, it could of been down to the 3 bags of goon we started drinking at 9am!... Well we couldn't let it go to waste!!

All in all Fraser Island is beautiful and I made some very good friends while on the Island, and have been lucky enough to see some of them since.

I don't know if you guys have been viewing my pictures , but I have also stopped off at Noosa for a trip to Australia Zoo, the home of Steve Irwin. Personally I wasn't much of a fan of Steve's, but after seeing his work at the zoo and what he worked for, it was very emotional to see all the tributes still on show that are dedicated to the crocodile hunter. The zoo itself is very impressive and I managed to feed an elephant and stand right up close with a Koala, which was cool. Pic's here!

Brisbane
Is a really nice and chilled out city - reminded me a little of Manchester. I really liked it there, even if the Hostel we stayed at was very scummy. I was sleeping in a room of 16 people...not a good choice. The Swedish girls, Annelie, Hanna and Lisa come and meet back up with us and we had an eventful evening out on the tiles... Oh and thanks Hazel for the call at some silly hour in the morning...haha... Pictures...
My plan had been to stay in Brisbane and look for work - like I say I was enjoying the city, managing to get a couple of runs in and felt relaxed. But after registering with a couple of agency's, taking all the typing tests under the sun, I just wasn't getting any job offers. This was frustrating as Glenn and I had said our good byes and he was heading back to Sydney.

I was feeling quite low about it all really, I'd tried for over a week to get work but was getting nothing positive, I even looked at fruit picking, but there's none in the south of Queensland due to the bad weather earlier in the month. In all honesty, I even looked into flights home...
Positive news finally arrived, but there was a catch - it was work but in Sydney!.. So after carefully weighing up my options and speaking with my agency contacts, I decided to leave Brisbane and head "Home" to Sydney.... All be it via....

Byron Bay
Now this is the Australia I love... Hot days, beautiful beaches and even more beautiful people on them - of course I walked on the paths as to not cause offense to the better looking people!! ;0)
Again, I meet back up with Glenn and we took our Mojo Surf lessons at Lennox Head, just up the road from Byron itself - Glenn was a day ahead of me, but we still managed to surf together.

Surfing is hard, but it's such a rush when you manage to stand up on the board... I've got some pictures and will upload them within a week, hopefully!... I enjoyed the second day of the course as we just got to head straight out on the surf..dude!!..

Byron is the nicest place I have visited so far, and I will be heading back to there before I head home. Plus I can now say I have visited the most eastern point of Australia!

So that's about it... I arrived in Sydney after a 13 hours coach journey this morning. It sounds harder that it was, even with some Wino, drinking goon all journey and falling asleep on my shoulder - my elbow slipped and hit his face a couple of times!!
I'm back at harbor city, which is cool and I start work tomorrow - which is with MSF again. Only catch is it's only for 3 days a week at present, so will need to look for alternative work. Basically my plan is to save enough cash as possible other the coming weeks. The legend that is Ste arrives out here soon, so I will see him and at some point I will arrange to travel the west coast.

I have picked up and feel happy again after the fun I had in Byron, it's a shame I couldn't of stayed in Brisbane, but end of the day I need the cash to splash on my lavish life style out here... Right, I must go, need to head to Woolworths and buy my 8p noodles for the rest of the week!!

P.S.
It'll be good to know whats going on back at home so please drop me and email guys and girls...

G ;0)

Pictures are better than words...

Well it is when I can't afford to be doing this blog all the time... the net's so expensive...

So just check out my latest pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/gicocker/ and I will write up the rest next week... maybe...

Fingers crossed I may have a job my Monday... Oh and I will be on my own as Glenn will be gone.. :( ...But I may get an apartment!! :) ... Anyone coming over for a house party???....

G xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm up' North!...And nearly turned into Spag-Bol, Scuba Dived on the Great Barrier Reef and jumped 14,000ft & survived!!!

...All things I would normally do in January...Honest!



Sydney seems like a life time ago, especially after everything I've been up to since I left on the 6th January and flew up' North to Caines.

The flight between Sydney and Caines took 3 hours, which is mad especially when you think back home you could fly to Spain in less time - over here we'd not even left the country! Anyways, the flight was fine, I was a little hungover after an impromptu night at The Gaff. It turned out to be a Grease Themed evening, but all we wanted was the free beer! We being - Glenn, Nick, Ben, Wolf, Rich & Vinal. The standard rules applied, while there was the free hour of drinking we all become bar flies and just necked as much as we could. Once the freebies was up we headed upstairs and started singing and dancing along to Grease songs - it was like a remake of the movie...Honest!!!



Sorry, need to just step back a day - we kinda had two leaving do's the first was on the Friday (4th Jan) night, and we all headed over the Side Bar, which is under Wake Up!, where my Oz adventure started.

This was an amusing evening, we'd headed out as it was Richs last night and Glenn & mine last weekend in Sydney. We were all well on our way before we'd even got there and we all got in, which was a bonus. After a few more beers and shoots a couple of us decided to head over to Scruffys - it would of been rude not too! However Vicky lost her Driving Licence, so back to Side Bar we went, all walking about just looking at the floor, on the dance floor... we must of looked like fools. Once we'd found it we just ended staying in Side Bar, before heading home and passing out...



So Sydney is officially done and dusted for now...



Glenn and I arrived in Caines on the Sunday morning and got a pick up from the airport to our new home, Bohemia Central. On the way, the mad driver kept telling us about everything we could do...In the Rain!!... We know we're doing Queensland in the rainy season, but there was no need to over do this point to us!!

The first evening we ventured over to Rhino Bar for our free grub, thanks to our snazzy Peter Bar wrist bands, up on arrival we purchased a beer ($7 - we're backpackers, very expensive!), and asked about our free meal - which we were told was Spag-Bol. I for one was happy as I seem to be living on Pasta with a Tomato based sauce most of the time. That evening, back at the hostel, we took part in the pub quiz, 3 teams played and we come....3rd, well officially anyways. Unofficially we come 2nd, as one team got half a point for a funny answer!! Mind you the winning team bought everyone who took part a beer, so we're all friends really.



Cape Tribulation

On the Tuesday (8th) we woke just after 6:30am and jumped on our tour bus as we headed to Cape Tribulation and our Resort for the next few nights, The Beach House, located within the Daintree National Park. Our bus driver and guide was Matt - he was a good laugh and kept us all amused, except when he tried changing gear, turning on the road, changing music and talking in the mic, all at the same time - a lot of heart in mouth moments on the windy roads up there.

The first stop on the tour up was a crocodile farm, sorta thing. Basically we sat on a boat while the guide told us we might not see any crocs as it was to wet, so in turn he talked about the plant life around the lake - Joy!!

We were 'lucky' enough to see a 7yr old & a 3yr old croc, oh and a frog - if you zoom in on my pictures, you maybe able to see them...But to be honest, I was more entertained by my free brew and biscuits!!

The next stop was much better as Matt guided round the Daintree Rain Forest, it did feel a little like a geography trip with Mr Reever (Old Skool!!!), but we managed to see some plants that only live in this rain forest in this part of the world!!

Sorry. Will stop being "Geography Boy" now... We rolled up at our resort around 3pm.

We had a look about, once we'd dumped our bags in the B&Q shed that was our home. Basically it contained 5 beds and a bin.... You just can't buy this sort of luxury back home!! I know I shouldn't moan, it's a rain forest and I shouldn't expect 5*. At least I can say I have lived in the middle of a rain forest now.



Glenn decided the excitement of the morning was just to much for him and he went for a nap. I on the other hand decided to go read my book at the bar. After about 10 bites from the flies, I went to get my bug spray, but got chatting with a girl who offered me her spray, her name was Lisa and she's from Leeds.
Basically we moaned and tried to comfort each other with stories and activities to do in a rain forest, especially when it was raining and when you couldn't go in the sea as it's stinger season. We didn't get very far and with it being happy hour at the bar, it was wasn't ever long before the jugs of beer come out!

After a while Glenn and Jenny, a girl from our room who's from Warrington come and joined us and we just sat chatting for the rest of the night.

As you can imagine, you get many bugs in the rain forest and it makes going to the toilets at the top of the hill a mission itself, especially in the dark - I think I set a new life time best running up to the toilets at one point!!

Lisa and Jenny thought it was amusing we had another evening in Cape Trib, as they were leaving in the morning. Cheers Girls.

Come the morning, Glenn and I went on a 9k round trek to a water hole which we could swim in, it was knackering walk and we never found it, but we did find a nice little beach which we kicked about on for a hour or so.

That evening, we bought a couple of jugs and played....Monopoly!! Yeah that's right, in a rain forest, drinking beer and playing monopoly - I was the Hat... Thought I would get the luck of County, but nope I lost...Big time!!

On the day we left we visited a water hole for a swim, but it was lashing it down so no one went in, then we had a couple of beers in Port Douglas. All in all Cape Trib in lovely, but 2 nights in maybe one to many at this time of year.



Back in Caines, more Spag-bol and a Scuba Dive

With us both being poor back packers we ended up back at Rhino Bar for the next 5 nights eating Spag-bol, I really did feel like I was turning into in by our final evening.

Saturday 12th - We went Snorkeling and Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, it was amazing, simple as that. There was only about 12 of us on the boat and everyone got chatting after a while, I got chatting with an Aussie girl and then Ed a lad from Reading. Glenn seemed to of forgotten his sea legs, so I left him along to sleep it off, better than having me in your face all the time, hey!

As we were not qualified Scuba divers we had to dive with a dive master, but that still didn't take anything away from the experience. I managed to see a school of Clown Fish (Nemo's) along with some other random fishes.

I wasn't that fussed about doing the reef, but as soon as I got out there I was all excited and just couldn't wait to jump in. Once we got back from our dive, I was straight back in the water and snorkeling for about another hour - great stuff. I swear I saw some fish which were bigger than me!!...

Once we returned to land, we went back to Rhino Bar for more Spag-Bol - I've had my fill of it for the year already. Then we had a night out in Caines, we went to the Woolshed, I had high hopes for here, but was a little disappointed, especially was it was just pop music all night - who in there right mind, excluding you H ;) , likes dancing to Fergie, S Club 7 & Justin! - And to add to the night I lost my wallet!! Panic set in big style and again I was walking round a bar and dance floor looking at the floor - Glenn managed to find a bouncer and we finally found it, all the stuff still in it...I was one very lucky boy!!


Skydiving - we're not sure who's idea it was but we paid for it and had to do it. We should of jumped on the Monday, however due to bad weather it got canceled. So, being gluttons for punishment, we booked it for the next day and our final day in Caines. Now or never.
We arrived the next morning and within 20 minutes we were in our gear and heading to the aircraft.
Four of us we're jumping in our group and I was second out. On the journey up there I was fine and not to worried about what lay ahead of me. I have to admit, once we got passed the forest below I would of been happy to of jumped at that height. Funnily enough I also had that same feeling when we were entering the clouds, but we were only 7,000ft - half way!!
Above the clouds it looked so peaceful, I managed to take in some of the views out of my little window, something I will always remember.
Then bang, door open and at our height, all 14,000ft of it!!! First person out.... Me shuffling along on my bum to the open door, making the mistake of trying to see how far down they were - all I could see was a dot entering the clouds - oh bugger... A little look to the camera and away we went...Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
What an amazing rush - just total freedom, I can't describe just home good it felt as we hit the clouds. I just cought my breath as they we're so cold, then out the otherside with just the ground below me. It was a relief when the parashute opened - even if I had forgotten about it!!
Floating down to earth it gave me a great chance to take everything in - which was special especially as we landed on the beach - mission beach.
I do have a DVD of the jump, so that'll be fun to share with you guys whenever I get home!!..... Black&Deckerrrrr!!!!

Townville & Magnetic Island
Glenn and I left for Townsville that evening, sleeping for the best part on the bus, arriving at Townsville ferry terminal at midnight. We'd made the decision to just sleep on the benches at the terminal, rather than book in somewhere for 5 hours before getting the 1st ferry to Maggy island. It was a rough nights sleep, but nothing us hardcore backpackers couldn't handle..haha!!

"Base" on Maggy Island was our resort and it over looked the beach - I managed to get some nice sunrise pictures before check in.

Our hut slept 8 and was very crowded -but everyone in there was cool, so it worked out fine.

We rented a beach buggy type car on the first full day and bombed about the island on that - it only takes 25 minutes to cross from one side of the island to the other!! We got chatting with some a few people and I personally enjoyed my time on the island.

Back on Townsville after a few days with Maggy, we decided to stay one more evening before heading south to Airlie Beach. It was a good job really as I got one of my migraine's so spent most of the day in bed. I was lucky it was on a 'nothing day', otherwise I could of missed out on a trip or something.

Airlie Beach - Whitsunday Islands
I have spend the last few days, from Sunday 20th, on a yacht sailing round the Whitsunday Islands and I have to say - it's by far the best thing I have done so far. Sunshine, sailing, crystal clear seas and a good crew. We went snorkeling more times than I can remember, eat well and basically just chilled out on the boat listening to music and getting a bit of a tan - even I managed some colour!!
I'm feeling so chilled and relaxed at the moment, it made me laugh to think that at 8am this morning I was snorkeling on the reef, where as this time last year I was on a train in the cold on my way to work. I know reality will come back and haunt me soon - but it's going to have to do a pretty good job to catch me first!!!

Off out with the girls and guys from our boat this evening, which should be a laugh....
Promise to update the blog more often... it's a pain for me too!!...

Next stop camping on Fraser Island!!!......