The Windsor Castle Hotel Maitland

... which was quite exciting.

Our first hiccup in travel took place when our evening flight from Launceston to Sydney was 2 hours late, so we didn't get into Sydney until after 11 pm. All flights stop after that time and everything shuts down, so we could not pick up our car hire. We managed to catch the VERY last taxi out of the airport to our hotel, which I has misbooked. I thought I had got the same airport hotel ...

... a mouthful of sand but was lots of fun!! also saw "tin city" - one house was used in a mad max film as the pub! the angles the 4x4 went on on the dunes was amazing! went on to Cessnock where we stayed outside a YHA - who wanted quite a lot of money to use the facilities considering we weren't staying there but does at least have the internet and is in a good locale. Eric Clapton is playing tonight so everywhere has ramped up prices so will have to do..

... a truck stop and call it a night. We threw our anchor out and just made it our home for the night. Kind of cool how you can do that in a camper. The next day we shoved off to head to wine country at Hunter Valley. When we found the town we needed in Hunter Valley where we spent a good hour or so driving through all of the small, windy streets to find the dang visitor's center. Finding the Visitor's Center was worth it because they sold their self-proclaimed world's best ...

Luckily we managed to finish packing up the van just before the rain started to come down again. We drove down to Newcastle and Dianne went to the Information Centre to find a hairdresser (for herself) and a cinema (for Craig and the boys) and we informed that a shopping centre in Charlestown provided both. Finding a carpark proved difficult and we ended up on a hill (again) in a residential street two blocks from the shopping centre ...

Hi there. You know when you watch Neighbors on TV and how everyone ends up living in other neighbors houses well it actually happens. giggle giggle When i first moved up to Newcastle i stayed with friends and just assumed i would end up in a backpackers. I hadn't really thought that one through really as i left Sydney hostel life to sober up and get some sleep so how i thought i would be able to work here and live in a hostel i don't know. But my friend ...

... down the street Well, this street was a busy highway like street with no sidewalks. So there was 20 tourists walking single file along this busy highway/street wondering what the heck did we get ourselves into and why didn't we take a Celebrity led excursion? After about 300 meters, we finally come to what looks like an entrance. We take a trail and it leads us to enclosures for Koala bears! They were as cute as you could imagine. And lots of different kinds of parrots ...

... our return to Sydney, so our days were spent mooching around the City and Manly sightseeing. I also literally bumped in to my friend Sarah (from work) who was in Sydney for her honeymoon - what are the chances of that happening!!! - Sarah, I hope you enjoyed the rest of your time here! However, it was soon time for Gigs & I to board the Greyhound and take a 10 hour coach journey north back up to Byron Bay for this years Bluesfest ...

... it was pitch-black by 5pm, and that same ominous smoky stench and orange shadow cut a swathe across the sky. The weather here can only be modestly described as spastic. When the sun's out it's DAMN hot, when it's not, it's quite bearable. Again, let me assure you that I'm not complaining. A word on my hostel here in Newcastle. I'm unimpressed. The rooms are adequate, despite the stained carpets and roachy balcony. The kitchen is **** and it's in the ...

... that were now being redeveloped. It is also apparently become a haven for artists and surfers. We arrived at our YHA hostel at about 5pm and immediately decided to extend our stay from one night to a couple of nights, because it had been a long day on the road and we didn't really want the same again tomorrow. The hostel was very large and had a roaring log fire in the main room, our bedroom was large and it offered free meals. Although neither Lynne or myself ...

... to a couple of Sydney FC matches - Dwight Yorke plays for them - always a good day out (especially if you're hungover!) We landed on our feet finding a rom at the Palladium Apartments in Pyrmont - next to Darling Harbour. Clive, Quinney, Fiona and Rachel (our flatmates) have all been lovely! The place has a swimming pool and gym too - so wished I'd made more use of them! We also live opposite the Sydney Fish Markets , so go there most weekends to stock up ...