The Great Ocean Road

With Philip - my friend from Germany that I met at the backpackers I'm staying, we decided to go and explore the Great Ocean Road. It's very famous here and if you ever come to Melbourne you have to do it. It's basically a road along the Ocean for over 200 kms!! and the landscape is awesome!! We did it on 2 days cause it's a long drive and wanted to enjoy it the most.

We've been so lucky because the weather was nice, cold but dry! The main thing..

Look at the pictures.

Philip and I

Me having fun.. as you do!

Guess what?? The name of this is: The London Bridge!!!! I'm not kidding!

The first time I saw a lama.. emotional

Some Arborigen statue

If you count them there is actually only 6 left..

Waterfalls on the way back to Melbourne, still on the Great Ocean Road


Another waterfall

Mornington Peninsula

While Jc was still around we both went on a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula. It's about 2hours south driving from Hanging Rock, so 1hour from Melbourne.
The landscapes were pretty amazing and we manage to see the sunset, that was beautiful.
The weather the whole day was brilliant.
We visited this garden, can't remember the name now but have a look at the pictures, they're quit funny.
That was an awesome day like they say around here!! Lol

Jc and I


Me on a reindeer tree!!


Love it! It says "Even pigs can fly? Isn't it amazing" :-)


Le bonheur est dans le pre..


Mornington Peninsula


Jc and I waiting for the sunset


Sunset

My 25th birthday

I had a wicked time!! It was quiet but my dear friend Lys cooked dinner and even bought a cake so I could blow my candles. The funny thing was that she bought the candles but there were only 24 in the pack!!! so the 25th one was an odd one!! Really funny. The following day we spend our time with her horses. It was just so nice to spend my time with people that hardly know me but make me feel so good and special. Thank you soooooo much Lys + her dad for this special night. That will be for ever a memorial time for me :-)

Preparing the cake..

Blowing my 25 candles

Lys, me and my 25 candles

Me looking good!! I nearly fall down in the mud


Lys and I at the end of the day

Melbourne

I love this town. Everybody non Australian told me that they loved this town. There's a bit of a war between Sydney and Melbourne.. I have to say that I loved Sydney but my heart definitively belongs to Melbourne. It's such a great city!!
You have everything and it doesn't feel like a huge city like Paris or London. There're loads of shops, tiny streets with great boutiques, the best restaurants ever and great people. Yeah! That will be my best city 2008, for sure!
See the pictures and enjoy!!

Outside the Library

Gardens near the National Museum

The National Museum

One of the numerous arcade that Melbourne counts

Botanic Gardens

Strange thing but very cool

... and me holding it!

Loving it!

View from the Eureka Tower

View from the Eureka Tower - sunset

View from the Eureka Tower

Good time at Hanging Rock Winery

I landed in Melbourne where JC came to pick me up. I hadn't seen him since my A Level.. therefore for 7 years!! Even after all this time we had a great time together and through him I met some lovely and awesome people: Rob, Mark, Josh, Elysia, Ruth and John + Ann Ellis the winery's owners. They're all lovely people and I feel privileged everyday to be around them and have them as my friends.
See below the picture of one of our great night at El Rancho - the wine makers' house where we were all the time.

The Crew (Josh, Rob, JC, Mark, Lys and Caz)

I've been in Melbourne since July 14th... and I'm still here!! I love this town and its people. It's so great to go out and have a good meal with a nice glass of wine. The shopping is amazingly diverse and the atmosphere is relaxed at all time.
During this month or so I've worked a bit to help me to finance my traveling and enjoy myself more than what I already do ;-)
Every weekend we go out for a good meal and good wines.. See the pictures, they explain everything ;-)

Rob, me and Mark

The Crew again

Me at JC's farewell looking very tipsy!!

My first week in Oz

The flight to Sydney was fine and not too long, so that was all good.
I landed in early morning of July 7th, when the weather was humid and chilly. What a change from Thailand!!! But at the same time it was so nice to finally find a bit of fresh air.
I stopped in a good backpacker's place in the city. The first 2 days I haven't done much cause I was a bit tired from the flight and probably needed to adapt myself at my new environment.

Once rested, I started to visit around. Sydney is a lovely city, especially the Sydney Harbour and the beaches around. The weather was good, a bit chilly but most of the time I had the chance to have a blue sky - Mr Blue Sky ;-)
I was happily surprised to find out that Ossie people are lovely and very friendly. They're very laid back and it's great to be around them cause you start to be more lenient, cool, relaxed.

I had to go and see the Sydney Harbour Bridge at first because I used to see the same everyday in Newcastle-UK. It is indeed the same, massive and beautiful! It was strange to be there and brought up some good memories. I didn't climbed it cause it was a bit pricey but I went up to one of the column of the bridge and got a very nice view. I didn't stay very long though cause it was so cold that I couldn't stand outside. It was very nice though.

At night I met up with Anthony and Kate, friends of a friend of mine back in England; lovely couple. Thanks for the drink ;-)

After ringing my friend Jean Charles who was working in a winery not far away from Melbourne, I decided to stay in Sydney for a week and then go to Melbourne and visit him for a while.

The next day I went to the Botanic Gardens and enjoy the sun and walked, walked, walked.. all day long!! It was so nice, especially this freedom that traveling and being in an new environment gives you. I watched the sunset on the Sydney Bridge from the Botanic Gardens and got a good night sleep.

The following 2 days I went to the beach. The first one was Bondi Beach. I walked all day long again. The walk around the beach is beautiful. I didn't do the whole of it but managed to walk for about 3hours.. not too bad. I actually had to stop cause my foot was hurting me. I guess Converse are not the best shoes to walk around so much..
The second beach was Mandi beach. That was also nice but a bit more busy. I've actually preferred Bondi Beach for its wild character.

I was flying on Monday night to Melbourne. So I had plenty of time to visit Sydney and walk around. I've also had loads of time to enjoy myself with glasses of wine every night with my room mates.. hihihi good nights at the Wake Up place!! Also, thanks Paul for the free cocktails night at your work. Loved it, it was awesome!

Back to Bangkok

After the great experience from Chiang Mai, Kate and I took different routes. She went to Laos and I slowly made my way back to Bangkok. I had a few days left before flying to Oz, so before Bangkok I stopped in Sukhothai - another old city. That was beautiful, as it is anywhere in Thailand..
I stayed there for 2 nights and 3 days and took the over night bus to go back to Bangkok the 3rd night.

During my first stay in Bangkok I had met in a restaurant Toy, a Thai women. She seemed very nice and lovely and told me to contact her when I'll be back cause she would love me to stay at her house.. At the first place I thought, nah! I won't stay.. but after spending a month in Thailand I thought that she was nice without bad intentions.. so I gave it a go and I called her before arriving in Bangkok.
I have to say that it was a bit scary cause I didn't know her a lot and no one would know where I was going to stay.. Anyway, she remembered me and decided that I will stay for 2 nights at her house.
No without apprehension I stayed there and everything was very good and so nice. I've experienced living in a Thai family for 2 days and I loved it! She basically opened me her house and made me feel like a guest and I felt so lucky to have the privilege of experiencing this. Thank you so much Toy! You have been wonderful and you will always have this special place in my heart.

After 2 days, I had to go and fly to Australia where new experiences were waiting for me.. Oz here I come!!

Me and Toi