#1 26-07-06 20:01:39

Will

Member

From: Scotland

Registered: 06-04-06

Posts: 216

G'day!

Well, I'm back in bonnie Scotland now after spending the last 6 weeks travelling. I started in Hong Kong before making my way to Sydney, from where I joined a tour which took the next two weeks travelling up the East Coast where it finished in Cairns. I stopped off at Byron Bay where I went kayaking out in the ocean with dolphins, Surfer's Paradise where I went..... surfing. I made it over to Fraser Island where I went swimming in the clear (and freezing) fresh water lake McKenzie. I spent two days living aboard a retired racing yaught around the Whitsundays, and then I went white water rafting and diving the Great Barrier Reef whilst in Cairns.

From there I made my way down to Melbourne which is a fantstic city. I enjoyed Sydney and it had a lot to offer (Romeo & Juliet at the Sydney Opera House), but take away the harbour and it could be any of 100 cities. Melbourne however is a city with an individual charm and character, and if I ever do make the move to emigrate to Australia, it would be Melbourne which would be the top of my list.

I met so many different people from all over the world (though not many Aussies). There were a lot of Canadians, and a lot of fellow Scots. There were also a few English and Americans, a Brazillian, Germans, and one absolutely "Crazy Dutch Bastard".

Hong Kong was also an amazing place to visit. It was made however by the fact I met a Chinese-American girl who was staying at my hotel, and between her and her mom (who only spoke Chinese) I was adopted into the family for a few days. It meant that I was taken to all these weird and wonderful places (mainly restaurants) which I would never have ventured into as a tourist on his own.

The highlight though was the sailing trip around the Whitsundays. The weather wasn't perfect, but it was more than made up for by the company I was with. A few people who were on my tour, and also a few who were their in their own groups. It also gave me the chance to fall for one of the girls on my group (it's hard not to be romantic sitting up all night taking on the deck in order to watch the sunrise the following day). It wasn't to be however (despite a rather nice kiss a few days later) but it's still a lovely memory.

And now I'm home, and it's kindof bitter-sweet to be honest. It's good to be home in a way as I have so much to organise before I start my new career, but it's always sad to think that the perhaps the best time of my life is over.

At least for a while. I'm hoping to make New Zealand next year.

I understand there's been a lot happening here in my absence however, with one significant absentee. I'm sorry to see the forums being on a downer. At least I can re-subscribe to IFM now and catch up on all the contributions I've missed.

Burlesque

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 04-05-06

Posts: 1,368

Re: G'day!

Myself, I've been sitting here chain-smoking.

Welcome back, Will, and thanks for the travelogue! The forum and the site are starting to resurface after spending some time beneath stormy waves, and while absent friends will be missed, I'm glad one of them has returned to us after his wild adventures in the untamed reaches of Australia and other equally dangerous regions.

Burlesque.

---

Maintain a sense of humour about it, whatever "it" is.

"Max Fan Club" Head of Security and In-house Sycophant. (Who says evil can't be a full-time occupation?)