Allawa Motor Inn Albury

Can't believe how early we had to get up this morning - 3:30am NZ time (which is 1:30am Aus time) to get to the airport.
But it was all good. Watched the Twilight movie on the plane on the way home and now i cant wait to see New Moon!

Coming through customs in Australia was funny as i had to go in the high security line due to my Maouri souviner that i brough back with me that is classified as a weapon. I was just glad that Border Security wasnt there to film me haha.

I haven't been to Beechworth since we were taken up for our Grade 6 school camp (quite some time ago, I can assure you!) so I'd been really looking forward to the weekend away. The closer we got though, the more difficult it started being as the week before was so busy and I ended up shuffling the equipment I needed to pack to work a few days before. As I was going straight from work to Preston to be picked up by my cousin and her husband everything - clothes, sleeping bag ...

... police occured.

We then spent a few hours at Beechworth, an historic little town which still has an operating telegraph station. We went on a scenic drive along the gorge (which was quite narrow with our big bus!)

After we headed down to the town of Bright and then into Mount Beauty, stopping at the overlooks of the town.

We arrived at Beechworth only half an hour away from Wanganderry. As we arrived in Beechworth,we found a caravan park.We took it and started putting up the caravan.While mum and dad were taking up the caravan,Marc and I were riding our bikes to the park and throwing the frisbee. Now today was actually the first day we'd been in a caravan park.For dinner mum went looking for a shopping centre.When mum came back she had bought our dinner and some salad.We ...

... phone numbers, and I may catch up with Jason and co again in Queensland, as they will be heading up that way at much the same time as I will. The other couple also offered me a place to stay in their house, should I be in the neighbourhood later in the year, and it struck me as bizarre that I could have a weird conversation about ghosts, and be invited to someone's house (by a non-Christian), and a weird conversation about coffee, and be effectively told to go away (by a Christian).

... phone numbers, and I may catch up with Jason and co again in Queensland, as they will be heading up that way at much the same time as I will. The other couple also offered me a place to stay in their house, should I be in the neighbourhood later in the year, and it struck me as bizarre that I could have a weird conversation about ghosts, and be invited to someone's house (by a non-Christian), and a weird conversation about coffee, and be effectively told to go away (by a Christian).

... We all take a turn in the bath warm water. Back at the house, we try roo meat for the first time. What a feast!Saturday is a double-date! Brad and Bronwym take us for a whirlwind tour through different vineyards in the area as well as a tour of a olivery and a cheese market. 

Albury-Wodonga proved to be a handy stopping point on the way to Melbourne as it would've been too far to drive in one day. A days' driving through hot dusty stretches of nothing seeing only a couple of small hamlets all day long; we were glad to arrive in Albury and see some form of civilisation (although limited!). The campsite owner told us that the temperature should've reached 42 degrees celsius - it luckily only got to 38 but 2 nights camping was plenty of heat for ...

... a medical student also dealing with all the skewiff legs and chipped bones that Mount Hotham produced. With myself and Conor it made 8 in all and everyone looked set to get on and have a great season. The first mission was to get Wendy a job which happened far more quickly than we thought and she landed the (fairly jammy) position of concierge within 3 days of arriving. Her duties included meeting and greeting guests at the airport, manning the information desk, boarding over the ...

... the side of a river, not another person in sight & no other sound but those of the wild life (admittedly some of it getting run over or being shot by Mick). Albury's a nice town with an English pub that serves a v. respectable pint of Tetley. Finally the icing on the cake was Monday's dinner; D&W cooked us A PROPER ROAST DINNER!!! You name it we had it - even Yorkshire pudding & onion gravy. Guys, we salute you. Albury - a home from home (but in Australia).