AUSTRALIA DAY!

Actually its Monday 26th Jan here and we've had an interesting day observing Australians celebrating their National Day in Melbourne. From a parade of all the ethnic groups that have settled here, (must have missed the Aborigines) watching people trying out the flying trapeze, (Rich wanted me to have a go but I'm wearing a skirt, which is hardly suitable attire) to the South Bank for food, drink and Buskers, it's been a beautiful day. This is a real city, reminiscent of London with its many Victorian buildings as well as great new edifices lining an attractive river. We came in by tram from the large Campsite at the edge of the suburbs, with caravans, campers and tents crammed into every available space.

We just hopped off the tram on our way back to find an internet cafe, as the one and only computer on the campsite is very expensive. So here I am, online in a Turkish cafe with men smoking hookas all around. I'm still having problems downloading pics from my camera and I don't know when I'll get that fixed so no new pics right now.

In the last few days we followed the Great Ocean Road, stopping to see the Twelve Apostles rocks on the coast, lashed by an incredible ocean, walked down the Gibson Steps to the beach and tried to camp overnight in the car park. However, the Wardens came around to tell us it's not allowed, except that Rich had had a drink or three so had to promise we'd leave before dawn. In the early hours it started to blow up a storm, lashing down with rain and rocking the van. I lay awake, feeling and hearing the booming roar of huge waves gnawing and nibbling at the base of the high cliffs on which we were parked, imagining the news: "Mother and son in storm tragedy. British holidaymakers who'd narrowly escaped being swept out to sea last week met their fate when freak winds swept their camper van off the cliffs last night." Suffice to say that we were awake most of the night but didn't want to move till dawn gave enough light to see where we were going. Then an incredible drive in the early morning through varied scenery of hills and forest, stopping for a break in a beautiful area of rainforest, full of tree ferns.

There's so much to see in this part of the country, but with only a few days left we just had to drive through and admire the views. Tomorrow we start the final leg to Sydney, where I hope to meet up with Ann, the daughter of Catherine in the US who often leaves comments. Rich flies home before I leave for NZ and I'll only have a couple of days to see Sydney so it would be great to have someone show me the sights if poss.