Movin' On Up

Our journey up the east coast has been busy busy busy! There are so many charming little beach towns, and it would be impossible to stop at them all, so we have been picking and choosing where to spend time.  Keeping in mind that it is winter here, the beach towns are in their low season.  When we left Sydney, it was not quite beach weather, so we were ready to move north in search of warmth!  So far we made stops in Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Byron Bay, Nimbin, Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Noosa Heads, Hervey Bay, and we just returned from Fraser Island....and we still have three weeks to go until we plan to be in Cairns!  Here are a few highlights: In Newcastle, Kent and I won a trivia contest.  In Port Maquarie, we sampled the local shrimp.  In Byron Bay the beach and light house were beautiful, but the highlight was our trip to Nimbin, a tiny hippie town stuck in the 70's. Surfer's Paradise found us in a one-bedroom apartment for the same price as staying in a hostel.  Brisbane is a great city with a man-made beach right along the Brisbane River and some great parks and gardens.  Noosa Heads is a relaxing beach town with a great coastal walk and from where we made a trip to the Australia Zoo ("The Steve Irwin Zoo").  We got to pet koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, and wombats!  Hervey Bay was highlighted by our 2-day tour to Fraser Island, which was incredible.  We visited a shipwreck from 1935 (SS Maheno), crystal clear lakes and creeks, huge sand dunes, and rainforests. The weather was slightly warmer than in Sydney, but we still needed to grab our sweatshirts in the cool evenings.  The hostel has a great woodburning stove in the middle of the bar/restaurant which was really toasty and reminiscent of home.  From Hervey Bay we took an overnight bus to Airlie Beach to continue our journey north!

A Slice of Sydney

We had heaps of fun in Sydney!! (how am I doing speakin' Australian?) We arrived on a beautiful sunny Wednesday and were off to a good start celebrating at the pub with a pitcher of Fat Yak Pale Ale! The next day, we were climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. What a cool experience! If anyone plans on going to Sydney, and isn't afraid of heights...do this! We got to see the structure and design of the bridge up close, and the view from the top can't be beat! Looking down onto Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, and you can see for miles, the Blue Mountains in the West, the Ocean to the East...just incredible. And to top off an already amazing day, on our way to the grocery store we chanced upon a bar playing the Phillies on all the flatscreens! Halliday was on the mound, and they lost in extra innings, but this was the first time we have been able to see a game on TV instead of just catching up online, which was a huge treat.
On Saturday, we went on a backstage tour of the Opera House. This tour began at the crack of dawn, but was totally worth it. We knew nothing about the Opera House before the tour, but we got to see all 5 theaters, empty, and go backstage to see the behind-the-scenes happenings and dressing rooms. Outside, a crowd was gathering to witness the homecoming of Jessica Watson, the 16 year old who sailed solo around the world in 7 months! We found a nice grassy spot to hang out. There were thousands of spectators in front of the Opera House where they had set up a stage and a huge welcome back event for her. There were tons of sailboats following her into the harbor, along with an entourage of security and family, and helicoptors everywhere. Quite a scene!
Another highlight of Sydney was when we had a surfing session at Bondi. The weather had taken a turn and there were showers in the area, but the water was unusually warm and we had so much fun riding the world-famous waves. In all, we spent time in Manly Beach, Bondi Beach, The Rocks, and the CBD.  We were in Sydney for nearly 3 weeks, and could have stayed longer, but it was time to move on up the East Coast toward Brisbane!

Beaches & Brews

We finally gave in and traveled a way other than a relocation. After hanging around Perth for a few days, we took the train to Fremantle and Cottesloe, beach suburbs of Perth, where we did as the locals do...we were beach bums and microbrew connoisseurs.


After enough lounging (yes, there is such a thing), we wanted to explore the southwest of Australia, in particular the Margaret River region, which is best seen by car. We rented a tiny economy-size car and made our way down to some awesome beaches and beautiful wine country. The beaches of Yallingup and Margaret River were packed with surfers, the waves head high and clean. The water was cold, full wetsuits needed, but that was no obstacle. The weather felt like September to us...warm enough to lie on the beach midday, but once the sun goes down, make sure you have some warmer clothes to put on...and no more humidity! While in Margaret River, aside from lounging on the beach, we went on a wine tour, tried some local microbrews, and explored Mammoth Cave.

After those little side trips, our time on the West Coast was nearing an end. We drove back to Perth and caught a flight back to Melbourne. We had been in Australia about 3 months at this point, and we hadn't even seen any of the East Coast!! Back in Melbourne, we met up with our friends Tanya and Mario when we went to see "the footy" - Aussie rules football. We made another visit to the famous Queen Victoria Market, and did some sightseeing we missed the first time around. Then it was on to Sydney!

The Joys of...Driving?

One of the first things we realized after getting to Australia is that traveling in this country is tough on the budget. We started to get worried that we wouldn't get to see much of the country, as vast as it is. That is, until we discovered the amazing value of relocating vehicles!! A popular and expensive way of traveling Australia is to rent campervans. Because some people rent a vehicle for a one-way trip, there are vehicles that need to be returned to their original location. This is where we come into the equation. A relocation is a one-way rental in which you rent a campervan for under $5/day and deliver it to a certain location. Relocating campervans is not for everyone, but if you don't mind driving and are flexible with your time and itinerary, it is one of the best ways to see the country and is extremely inexpensive! We first tried it out to get from Melbourne to Adelaide. We had to be patient waiting for the right vehicle, to and from the right locations. When one finally came up, we were lucky enough to snag the booking before anyone else. It worked out so well, and they even gave us a fuel allowance! Since the vehicles need to be at the drop-off location by a certain date, you only have a given number of days to get the car there. This does limit some sightseeing, but if you plan well, it's not a problem.


We already had our second campervan booked before we even reached Adelaide! We spent a week in Adelaide, then began our road trip through the Outback to Alice Springs. The day after arriving in Alice, we had another relocation booked to drive to Darwin... and after several days in Darwin, we picked up our 4th and most ambitious relocation, from Darwin to Perth. Since arriving in Australia, we have driven nearly 10,000 kms. It's been a challenge, but we have seen parts of the country that we never thought we would get to experience. My advice to anyone traveling in Australia...Take advantage of this amazing system! It has served us well so far, and I don't think we have driven our last relocation.

Stay On SEALED Roads With a 4x4?? Are We MAD??

Kent, Hannah, Emma, and I picked up the 4x4 with direct instructions not to go off-roading since we were relocating the vehicle. A relocation vehicle is a one-way rental for a fraction of the price since the company needs the vehicle in a certain location. Well, needless to say, we knew that rule was not going to be adhered to. We drove to Port Fairy to complete our tour of the Great Ocean Road and head towards Adelaide. From our research, we knew that Canunda National Park had beach camping, so we made a stop there. The Lonely Planet described it as having "big sand dunes" and campfires allowed. Perfect!! So we put the vehicle in 4wd and set off on the dirt roads. Our first obstacle was called "Khyber Pass," which was a narrow path through soft sand dunes with rocky walls on either side. I took the driver's seat. Heavy on the acceleration, we gunned it through Khyber Pass, with only a few minor setbacks and luckily no scratches on the vehicle. Phew! Glad that was over with.....until after several more kilometers of packed sandy roads, we came to the "big sand dunes." A dune 8 meters high loomed in front of us. My heart was pounding. All 4 of us were stoked, but a bit tentative, after all, we were not supposed to be off-roading. After some pep talks and mental preparation, we soared up over the dune. Total chaos in the vehicle. But we made it!! The back looked like an earthquake had hit, and poor Hannah was stuck under all the bags!! Now, where is that ocean with the packed sand we can drive on?? Well, imagine a scene from Egypt. The dune didn't have an end. Sand for miles. Soft mounds piling up everywhere, and thinking you will be able to see something "just after we get over the next dune." We had to admit that finding the ocean was not to be. It was getting dark and not a soul would be passing through anytime soon. We had to give in and turn back to find a place to set up camp, preferably on solid ground. But again, more difficulty. On the "dune" the sand was softer that ever and we found ourselves stuck yet again. I put it in low gear, but no luck. There were no sticks or stones in sight to put under the tires. The other three were going to have to push! We dug out the tires and after immense effort from Hannah, Emma, and Superman, we made it free. But not without nearly 4 heart attacks. Luckily we didn't have to go through Khyber Pass again, we were just looking for the closest sealed road - by now it was beginning to drizzle! We made it to Beachport Conservation Park with about 15 minutes of light left for us to set up camp. After this adrenaline-packed day, we were all grateful for the box of wine waiting in the back.

Leaving the Tent

Once we were settled in our new temporary home, we began to relax and explore our surroundings. Wye River is hours away from Melbourne, accessible by bus to those of us lacking an automobile. The town consists of the Big4 Holiday Park, a pub, and a small general store, both wildly overpriced. The nearest town is a half hour bus ride, or over an hour to a town with decent prices. Luckily, we caught a ride into Torquay for groceries with Sharna and Damo, 2 of the permanent caretakers at the campgrounds, and got enough food to last us weeks!

We worked when the park was busy, mostly on the weekends. Kent spent his Friday and Saturday nights as security guard from 10:30-2:30am. We lazed on the beach when it was sunny, occasionally going for a dip in the "refreshing" (cold) sea. We indulged in rotisserie chicken and chocolate cake for Kent's birthday. We played board games and card games, cooked barbecues, and explored the local area. Sharna and Damo took us to see glow worms along some deserted trails one night and another time We picked wild blackberries and made pancakes. We prayed our tent wouldn't blow away when storms came through, and I gave Kent a haircut. We made some awesome friends and exciting traveling plans.

After making our furtune as casual cleaners and security guard, we couldn't wait to begin exploring the rest of this huge continent. We joined forces with Hannah and Emma, 2 British girls who were also working with us at Wye River, and we arranged to see the rest of the Great Ocean Road and the State of Victoria, and make our way to Adelaide via car rental and campervan relocation.

Picking up the rental car in Melbourne, we made our way along the southern coast until we reached Port Fairy. There were some beautiful sights along the Great Ocean Road, our favorites being the 12 Apostles and the Bay of Martyrs. In Port Fairy we had a treat because all I wanted for my birthday was fish and chips! We found a great "fish and chippery" right on the wharf and indulged in battered flake and yummy chips (fries).

From Port Fairy, we turned north toward the Grampians National Park. In a town called Hall's Gap we found accommodation and close encounters with kangaroos who wandered into the campgrounds looking for food. After the 4 of us enjoyed many gin and tonics, music, and card games, Hannah, Emma, and Kent presented me with my homemade chocolate birthday cake, which was absolutely delicious, especially with Kent's homemade lemon zest whipped cream. I even had a candle to blow out!

The next day we toured the Grampians including Baroka Lookout, the Balconies, and MacKenzie Falls. With a short stop in Ballarat, we continued back to Melbourne to pick up the next vehicle, a "relocation" from Melbourne to Adelaide in a Maui 4x4 pop-top campervan. But that is an adventure for another day...

Living in a Tent

Our journey to Australia has begun! After going through customs, we jumped on a bus that took us to downtown Melbourne. We had heard great things about the City of Melbourne, so we began our journey there, and loved it. There is a river running right through just south of the CBD where everyone comes to enjoy the great weather, go for a run, or eat at one of the many waterfront restaurants. There are beautiful beaches just a short tram ride away, and plenty of museums, culture, and nightlife to keep you entertained for years! We stayed at a great hostel and met some awesome people. We went to the markets, libraries, restaurants, beaches, and bars. Unfortunately, staying in the city is also hard on the wallet, so we decided to try to make use of our working holiday visas, which allow us to get short term jobs while traveling the country.

It wasn't easy finding jobs amongst the many other backpackers looking for work. Most jobs available in the city were door to door sales and other commission based work (not our bag, baby). We finally saw a posting on the hostel message board for work and accommodation at a Big4 campgrounds about 2 hours outside of Melbourne, along the Great Ocean Road (a popular tourist drive along beautiful beaches). After a phone call, we were all set to start work the following week!

We hopped on another bus headed to the Great Ocean Road. We arrived, set up our puny 2-man dome tent and luxurious air mattress, and were all set to start work the next morning. We tried to sleep through the sounds of wild pigs and monkeys, and midway through the night realized we were sleeping on the hard ground, thanks to the inability of the air mattress to actually hold air. We were not very cheerful upon waking in that cramped tent, but we headed down to start work and tried to put on a smile. Turns out the "wild pigs" are actually koalas (seriously, try to find a youtube of the noise) and the "monkeys" are actually kookaburras laughing. By the end of the 8-hour day, we returned to our campsite to find Grahm, a resident/employee of the campgrounds, setting up his 2-room tent for us. Our new found friends and coworkers managed to hook us up with a real mattress, linens, pillows, towels, an icebox, and a table with chairs. There was no trouble smiling now! We quickly set up our new home and converted our "old" home to the closet. We are camping in style!

The setup we have is great. There is a beautiful beach with great surf right across the street, and our coworkers are so generous and fun! Koalas live in the trees around us and kangaroos hang out in the field about 100 meters away from our tent. Life is good.