Surfing the competition out of the water

We've now left Sydney and in Byron Bay. Had a great Paddy's day, went for a morning dive in Botany Bay and saw a weedy sea dragon - thanks Aengus. And then drinks in Hyde park with free concert with a great U2 tribute band and Sian ran in to Rory Draper. Saw "Summer Bay" aka Palm Beach, where Home and Away is filmed on Sian's birthday. Painted the other side of the van with a red dinosaur beside a lovely tropical beach (he still needs his face). We're becoming regular visitors to Bunnings - Oz's equivalent of Woodies, only stopping just short of buying Bunnings sun hats.

Took in the sights and smells of the hippy town of Nimbin, stayed in the Rainbow Retreat complete with smoking frog infested tee-pee made from tarp and cracked car windscreens. Kinda like been back in Thailand with makeshift huts made from lumber and concrete etc.

We've just booked 3days aboard a sailing boat to sail around the Whitsunday Islands and dive off and 3 days 4wheel drive around Fraser Island - the worlds biggest sand island. We've got just over 5 weeks left in Oz so we're packing in as much as we can before we have the sell old Betsy Buttercup -HOPEFULLY- for a profit (now that its a work of art).

Pictures above are of our surfing lesions with Kool Katz, they gave us a money back guarantee that we'd stand and surf a wave for 40m and golly we did!

Dave & Sian

Sydney, the city we just can't leave!

As the post says, we're still in Sydney. Been doing a lot of touristy things, Opera house - Beautiful to walk around the outside but shows too expensive. $65 for a seat behind a pillar... decided to wait until we're old and rich. Bridge - Its a big bridge, very impressive. Museums etc have been interesting but we're getting a bit cultured out. So mostly have been going to the beach to fry and drinking on the weekends :) All very healthy.

Have been out around the Sydney area too, saw where Captain Cook first landed. Unfortunately, we were looking across at it from the other side of the bay. Saw what looked like a beautiful little cove so all the gang walked out to it. Was only when we arrived that we realised it was a nudist beach. Populated by lots of elderly gay men... If it wasnt for the nursing experience might have fainted, definitely wasn't Dave's favourite outing.

Had out Paddys day night out yesterday - Giant house party, Up till 6am. While out looking for fast food about 3am i found 3 strangers on the street and about 50 bags of crisps spilt on pavement and brought them with me to the house, it was that kind of evening! will be Hijacking the real Paddys day for my birthday on the 18th.

Regarding gifts, would be best if you all sent them to Cairns and ill collect them in a month or so. Nothing too large, diamonds will be easiest to carry and best to bail me out of sticky South American problems... (Sian)

Sian & Dave

Let the bear’s pay the bear tax...

Hi all, thanks for all the comments.

Last Thursday we spent the day spray painting the other side of the van and after we cooked our dinner beside the beach that evening we said feck it, lets go to Sydney, and the following evening we were here (in lashing rain). Around 1,000km from Melbourne, old Betsy did it no problem.

So we'r now in Sydney, staying with the kind hospitality of Ed Murphy. Put up some photos here (around 500!).

Had a good old Friday night out with Ed & Sian's nurse friends, so good that we weren't allowed into the last pub and had to climb through their smoking area bush fence, so it was all good in the end.

Had a relaxing book reading weekend (you have to read "Gates of Fire") and now going to do the Sydney tourist bit.

We changed our flights by the way, we'r now going to be away till around mid Nov. (giving us extra time in NZ and South America) - haven't updated our google calender yet.

Enjoy the photos
Dave & Sian