The Hulk

Let the adventures begin!
Sydney, Australia
Sydney, October 2006.. I actually made it. I got off my fat bum and did something rather than just talking about it!!!
Bondi Beach
I spent the first month just finding my feet and exploring the city and seeing all the famous bits like the Opera House, caught the ferry over to Manly, swam at Bondi, Coogie and a couple of the northern beaches. I got to see U2 and Kanye West play at Telstra Stadium which was really good. I was also subjected to watching an A-League game between Sydney FC and Perth Glory. Oh dear, I can only assume that the A stands for arse because it was terrible, and being a saints fan that is saying something!! Just before the Ashes started I also got to meet David Boon aka Boony, the legendary aussie cricketer.
Boony and the Weeman
The highlight of my first few weeks out here though has to be the Habour Bridge Walk which I did with Dave, a friend from my swimming days, and his wife Jess who were luckily passing through Sydney on his way from New Zealand to India. Both me and Dave were absolutely petrified of heights but we managed to do it without messing ourselves (Judging by the photos it was probably a close call with me though!!).
written by  The Hulk on October 10, 2006 from Sydney, Australia
from the travel blog: The Hulk goes Down Under!

Night Kayaking!!
Barrington, Australia
This is where my travels begin!!
After lazing around in Sydney for a month and a bit, it was about time I got out and saw some the country. Having not got up much before 11 o'clock previously while being in Oz the 5.30am start was a little harsh. Especially since i hadnt finished packing my bag until 12 the previous night.
As I'd not done anything like this on my own before i was a little apprehensive (bricking it!!), but a quick call from my bro on the train into Sydney city centre and I was now ready for a seroius road trip!! I got to the Oz Experience office nice and early (for once!!) and met up with all the people i was gonna spend the next month with..
We left Sydney behind and headed for Barrington Tops National Park ably driven by the legend Frat. Frat was not only really knowledgable about all things Australian he was a absolutely top bloke!!
On the way to Barrington we stopped off for a bit of a trek through the rainforest to break the journey up at bit. Whilst there, Frat helpfully informed us that it wasnt just the spiders, snakes, crocs, sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, cassowaries and tics that can kill you in Australia there are a certain type of tree that is lethal too!! GREAT!! These particular trees not only have the potential to kill you, they have a brilliant name too, the Gympie Gympie tree or otherwise known as the stinging tree. Their small hairs on their leaves penetrate the skin just by brushing against them and are almost impossible to get out!!! These hairs contain a very similar neurotoxin that is contained in Box Jellyfish stings. With that well in mind everyone stuck of the middle of the path for the rest of the walk...
We arrived at Barrington Tops National Park in the late afternoon and unloaded our previously aquired beer into the fridges provided. Then got down to some all you can eat pizza accompanied by a few beers for a bit of dutch courage before we started the night kayaking.
Once kitted out with our kayaks, paddles, helmets, helmet lights and buoyancy aids we headed via minibus to a spot upstream. After an interesting little walk carrying the kayaks we reached the river. When we arrived at the bank Dave the leader said that because of the thunder storms around us and the fact that there was no moonlight this was the darkest he's ever been out in. I can vouch for that as it was pitch black and all you can see was the red light on the back of his helmet!! Having done some canoeing back home I was looking forward to doing some grade 3 rapids in total darkness.. As mentioned earlier we were equipped with head mounted torches but you soon learn that its not that handy. Once the light is on every moth, mosquito, beetle and flying bug zooms straight for your face and if your lucky right into your mouth. Having had ample amounts of pizza and a few beers before we came out I was full so decided it was best without the light!! I managed to make my way down the rapids with only a couple of near misses and didn't capsize, the same couldnt be said for several of the group who went for an early bath.
Not me but very funny!!
After an just over an hour of kayaking we reached base camp, unloaded all our stuff in the store room, grabbed a few beers and headed for the hot tub to round off a great first day of my trip!!!
written by  The Hulk on November 27, 2006 from Barrington, Australia
from the travel blog: The Hulk goes Down Under!

Arrawarra Surf Camp
Coffs Harbour, Australia
After minimal sleep due to the emmense snoring capabilites of the legendary Irish Vinnie it was another early start which I was gonna have to get used to. The weather had changed from the cloudy drizzle and thunderstorms we had yesterday to beautiful warm sunshine and no clouds to be seen, time to baste up!! We were heading back to the coast for surf camp....
Just call me Kelly Slater or Laird Hamilton.. This was seriously good fun but really hard work.. As you can see from the piccies I am a natural (It may have something to do with the fact I had a surf board the size of Wales!!).
After my attempts at skateboarding when I was younger I thought it was going to be a nightmare but a little bit of effort and the fact water doesnt hurt as much as concrete and your away!!!
The weather was a bit erratic, as it was beautiful and warm when we got there, but just as we sat down for dinner one of the biggest electrical storms ive ever seen came in.. Once we'd finished eating and had about 3 power cuts we headed down to the beach to watch the storm over the sea. It was a awesome sight seeing hundreds of bolts of lightening all around..
7am start again as we were out on the water again for 8 to catch a few more waves before we headed off to the famous Byron Bay..
written by  The Hulk on November 28, 2006 from Coffs Harbour, Australia
from the travel blog: The Hulk goes Down Under!

Time to unpack the bags
Byron Bay, Australia
We arrived in Byron in the early afternoon and it was a chance to unpack my bags and relax as we were going to be here for 5nights. Byron Bay is the most easterly point of Australia and a bit of a party town. Luckily or unluckily for us we arrived right in the middle of Schoolies (Schoolies is when all the 17/18yr olds break up from school and just go to places like Byron and Surfers Paradise to just generally get pissed and act like tools, not unlike spring break in the states). I spent most of these few days just chilling out on the beach and watching the cricket during the day then going out drinking at night in the many clubs and bars that Byron has to offer. The most famous of these is the delightful Cheeky Monkeys which luckily was situated across the road from where we were staying!Me, 'Vinnie and Farmer Phil ate in here nearly every night as we got a deal from our hostel where we got $5 meals and cheap 3 pint pitchers of beer. Every night they would have prizes to give away and interesting competitions to win them in.. On our first night Phil managed to pip Vinnie and a number of other hopefuls in a sexual position game up on stage and managed to win himself some free surf lessons!! The highlight of their weeks activites though was the wednesday night wet t-shirt contest. Views were at a premium as the place was full of hundreds of schoolies. Me and Phil stayed for a while but it was far too busy and we couldnt see much of the stage so we left. We were however later informed that it was very entertaining by Vinnie who had spent the entire contest hanging from the roof with prime view of all the action!!
written by  The Hulk on November 29, 2006 from Byron Bay, Australia

One night in Brisvegas!!
Brisbane, Australia
The drive up from Byron took us north from New South Wales into Queensland. Queensland is the home of the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and a number of other nice sounding coasts.. Before we got to Brisbane, our next destination, we had to drop off a few of our fellow travellers in Surfer's Paradise. After Surfers much to our suprise, we got the chance to do some Zorbing!!!
Those who dont know its a "sport" invented by the kiwis where you climb into a massive inflatable ball with a bit of water in then you get pushed down a big hill.. It was a very good laugh until you have to get out at the end through the really small gap you got into at the start. This can only be done by someone tipping the ball and letting you drop out. The appearance is not unlike child birth!! Once we had all been born again it was off to Brisbane.
One night was enough for me as I felt it was just another city so I wanted a bit more country air.. Oh and my bunk bed was 6000ft high and as sturdy as England's tail end!!
From Brisbane we headed further north through Steve Irwin territory and the Glasshouse Mountains(see below) up to Noosa.
written by  The Hulk on December 4, 2006 from Brisbane, Australia

Richmans playground
Noosa Heads, Australia
After changing the itinery to only stay one night in Brisbane it allowed us to stay an extra day in Noosa. Noosa is a pretty small town but it is home to alot of wealthy people and holiday homes. You can see why, the beach is amazing and the surrounding area is beautiful. As the journey from Brissie is pretty short it gave us even more time here. We stayed at Hulse Lodge YHA which was a really nice old Queensland type house up on the hill above the town. We dropped off our bags and headed down to the beach for a chill out and swim in the sea. This was our last chance to get in without risk of being done by jellyfish as further up the coast they are everywhere..
After a relaxing day by the beach we headed back to the hostel for food, a few beers at the bar and a pool competition which i annoyingly came second in... I was robbed!!!
The next day was something me and Phil were looking forward to for a long time. We were heading to Australia Zoo, home to the legend that was Steve Irwin. The place was awesome and not like a normal zoo as it was really interactive. All the animals had massive enclosures which you could just walk through (except the crocs obviously!). The croc shows were really good and you really get to appreciate how big and powerful they are, pretty scary considering most of them were caught in the areas we were about to visit up the coast!! Other cool animals at the zoo were wombats, koalas, snakes, kangaroos, wallabies, tigers, tazzie devils and cassowaries.
Absolute Legend!
written by  The Hulk on December 5, 2006 from Noosa Heads, Australia

Hervey Bay
Noosa Heads, Australia
Interesting place Hervey Bay.. Its spread out over a huge area but theres nowt to it.. Oh well Fraser Island tomorrow..
written by  The Hulk on December 7, 2006 from Noosa Heads, Australia

Fraser Island
Noosa Heads, Australia
Yet again another very early start... Destination Fraser Island for a 4x4 safari.. The largest sand island in the world, apparently!
Day 1 - It was down at the bar in the hostel by 7, ready to be put into groups and sort yourselves out. Luckily a group of chinese people didnt turn up which meant instead of 10 people per jeep it was now only 8. As I was not driving it was up to me to purchase all the alcohol and all the food supplies we would need for 3 days!! The alcohol was the easy bit, the food however wasnt. I had 20 mins to buy all the food we were going to need for 3 days for 8 people, it was just like supermarket sweep without the perma-tanned Dale Winton.
Once I'd purchased all the supplies I rejoined the group just in time for the main man from the 4x4 company to give his "Dingo Aware" speech!! Supposedly if you are attacked by them you should 'fight back aggressively'. Interesting strategy!! With that in mind we headed outside and loaded the jeep. The minute we pulled out on to the road to begin our adventures the rain started to fall.
We made our way to the ferry terminal then over to Fraser. I was expecting at least some tarmac roads on the island but I was very much mistaken. The minute we left the ferry it was dirt roads and 4x4 all the way. The weather wasnt heping much either as it was still pouring down, but thanks to Farmer Phil's expert driving we managed to make our way through the rainforest and across the island to our first stop, Lake Wabby.
Lake Wabby and a massive sand dune
The lake has a massive inland sand dune on one side and the eucalyptus forest on the other with beautiful emerald green water. As the weather has improved a little bit on our trek down to the lake a few of us went for a dip. On the walk to and from the lake we came across a couple of these spiders on either side of the path, i think they are called Golden Orb Spiders and it's about the size of my hand!!
It was back to the van and change of driver. In the hot seat this time was Katie, or should I say Colin McCrae! Oh dear..... Despite the fact we got to the camp site safely a number of us in the back had turned a little white and the seats a little brown!! After a talk about the campsite rules from the ranger it was time to set up the tents, although not before we'd cracked open a few cold beers... With suprising ease we managed to erect our tents and it was down to the cooking area to prepare din dins. Luckily for me, as I'd done the shop earlier in the day i was allowed to sit back and watch with a beer in hand.. Once we'd all eaten it was time to relax, get to know each other and enjoy ourselves. After plenty of drinks and a few humourous drinking games it was lights out at the campsite, so some of the team went to bed while the hardcore (whores of the hops!!), went down to the beach to continue the drinking.
Clockwise from Me, Lyndsay, Wren, Phil, Tim, Katie, Becky and Jo
Et moi, Lynz, Wren and Goldmember
Day 2 - Amazingly I was the first to rise the next morning and was tucking into my rice crispies before anyone else had risen. It was a race to beat the tide this morning as we had to get to the north eastern tip of the island to a place called Indian Head. The only route up there was the beach so we couldnt be late. It was Tims turn in the drivers seat this time and he did very well not to get stuck in the sand at any stage unlike numerous others!
We parked up at Indian Head steering clear of the dingo a couple of yards away, then took the long walk along the beach to Champagne Pools. These pools were supposed to be really nice little pools on the rocks created by the outgoing tide to paddle and swim in. However we were there when the tide was in so they were absolutely rubbish and kept getting hammered by huge waves. A bit dissapointed we headed back to the 4x4 for some lunch and waited for the tide to go out so we could go back down the coast. Luckily the weather had finally broken and was turning out to be a really nice day so it was time to baste up and catch a few rays.
Maheno ship wreck
As we had plenty of time on the way back we stopped off at the Maheno ship wreck to take a few piccies then to a really cool little place called Ely Creek. This a little fast flowing creek which flows out onto the beach. The water is absolutely crystal clear if not a little cold but we spent the next hour or so paddling up and down it like little kids at a water park!! When we'd had enough we went back to the 4x4, dried off and headed back to the camp where we continued with our eating and drinking from the previous evening!!
Day 3 - Yet again, another early morning, and we had to pack up all the tents before we headed out. We had to catch the ferry back to the main land at 4pm and we had alot to get in. First on the agenda was Lake Boomanjin. The weather again could only be described a changable, one minute warm and sunny, the next over cast and peeing it down!! When we arrived at the lake it was a bit rubbish so we made a swift return to the 4x4 and headed out to Lake Birrabean. In contrast to the previous lake, Birrabean was really nice with amazing white sandy beaches and amazing blue water, plus it was deserted which was nice! A few of us got in for a really enjoyable swim then we headed for the most famous of Fraser Islands lakes, Mackenzie. Once we arrived it began to pour down so we made some lunch in the back of the 4x4 and waited for the rubbish weather to pass. Mackenzie was just like Birrabean but a bit larger and alot more people. After a hour of messing around it was time to head for the ferry and the end of our 4x4 safari..
Lake McKenzie
written by  The Hulk on December 8, 2006 from Noosa Heads, Australia

Kroombit Cattle Ranch
Rockhampton, Australia
Another early morning departure from Hervey Bay and our destination today was Kroombit Cattle Station where we had some fun and games prepared for us. After 3 days bouncing up and down like an idiot in the back of a 4x4 the bus was a pleasant change and time to chill out for a bit and take in the sites. On our route was the town of Bundaberg, home of the famous Bundaberg Rum. I was told at the time that this is the Australian version of Stella Artois or "wife beater". Having tried it since I can fully understand why!!
Who ate all the pies?! (Alex and Phil)
Bundaberg, home of the aussie "wife beater!"
We arrived at the cattle station, or ranch as they call them in the states, in the early afternoon and were given the choice of a horse ride or more 4x4. As I'm not that keen on horses I chose more 4x4 adventures. Oh dear!! On the bus on the way there our driver told us that because of previous accidents etc that one of the ranch hands would drive us round. Oh no, it was a free for all, Andrew the "superviser" even asked if I wanted a go. When I said I didnt have a license he said "..so what?!".. For the next hour we drove around clinging on for our lives the back of the oldest, most beaten uo 4x4 you've ever seen. All the cushioning in the seats was gone replaced by planks of wood, the back door was held on by a bungee cord and was slamming back and fore all the time. The best of all however was at the start when he asked Phil, who was the first to drive, to always keep it in the lowest hear possible. When Phil inquired why he replied "coz the brakes aint too good!!". Once we were back I felt like kissing the gound like the Pope and vowed not to do anymore 4x4 on the trip..
It was a quick change of clothes then up the hill for some clay pidgeon shooting and lasooing goats. I gave the clay pidgeon shooting a miss coz i'd probably be toss at it and decided to put all my efforts in learning how to lasoo. The aim was to stand in the ring and chose a goat you were going to get then you had a minute to get it with your rope. Amazingly I won and managed to do it in a staggering 2 seconds!!! I think I may have found my next job!!
Lasooing and shooting aside it was down to the camp for food and more ranching activities. When we got down to camp it was really good to see Frat, our guide out of Sydney and for the first 3 days of the tour. He was taking his bus back down south from Cairns. Firstly we were taught how to crack a whip. Its not as easy as a towel and it hurts a hell of a lot more than a towel when you get it a bit wrong!! Then it was onto the mechanical bull for rodeo time.. To say i was shite would be an understatement but my dismount was unlike anything they'd ever seen. I manged to do a perfect sumersault and land on the crashmats on my back, not hurting anything accept my pride!! Frat found it particularly amusing as he'd given me some tips on how to stay on. He used to work on a cattle ranch further inland before he started driving for Oz Experience..I think i managed 3 bucks. Despite not really wanting to do it and going last Alex won staying on for about 12 i think. Up stepped Frat and beat everyone, managing about 20/25 bucks before he jumped off and he did it no handed!! Very impressive...
After the bull it was more drinking and drinking games which decended into things which shall not be repeated, as they say, what goes on tour stays on tour!!!
written by  The Hulk on December 11, 2006 from Rockhampton, Australia

Whitsudays
Airlie Beach, Austria
After a monstrous 11 hour journey we finally arrived in Airlie Beach (also known as Airlie no Beach), gateway to the Whitsundays..
Had a few nights in Airlie before we headed out on the boat, pretty nice place with very good nightlife so more drinking was to be had!! We are now in stinger jellyfish areas so no matter how nice the sea looks, unless your wearing a lovely stinger/swinger/gimp suit you may die!!! There is a great man made lagoon just off the beach which you can swim in though.
After a late night watching jelly wrestling at Magnums with Phil and Kim(very funny Danish farmer off our bus), we headed down to get on our boat. Luckily the boat we had chosen to go on was apparently one of the best in Airlie and in its former life as a racing yacht had won the Fastnet and Sydney to Hobart races twice along with a load of other important things.. Obviously the boat was very good, but the crew had were even better!!
Andy the captain, Chris and Andrew. Some of the jokes Captain Andy came out with are without doubt the sickest jokes I have ever heard!!
Motley crew : Chris, Captain Andy and Andrew
Fiona, Alex, Jon Arne Riise and Me
As there was only 3 proper crew onboard it was up to the rest of us to pitch in and raise the sails etc. I now have the upmost respect for anyone who does proper sailing as getting the sails up was the hardest thing ive done since I finished swimming. I nearly threw up once I'd finished and by looking at the others around me, I wasnt the only one!!!
The first day sailing we headed right out to the far side of the Whitsundays to Border Island. Once there, it was time to don our lovely stinger suits for a bit of snokelling in the amazing clear waters with beautiful coral and millions of fish.. However we did find out something a little bit scary from some friends who we met on the way to the boat who'd just come off their cruise on a different yacht. They told us that they had heard something had happened on Condor and someone had to be airlifted off and to hospital. With this in mind we quizzed Captain Andy before we went in the water. He told us that some German fella had gone out in full stinger suit and came back to the boat perfectly ok, told the crew he thought he'd been stung on the neck. They treated it with vinegar(not urine!!) as your supposed to but this bloke just deteriorated so they had to get him airlifted off. He spent the next 3 days in intensive care where his heart rate didnt drop below 170-180bpm! He had been stung by the delightful Irukandji jellyfish (Carukia barnesi). Whats even better about these things is they are only 12mm in diameter and 25mm long.. Nasty little buggers!!!
With that well in mind we jumped in and went for a paddle. When we'd had enough of paddling around it was back to the boat for some food and crack open a few tinnies of VB and XXXX as this was where we were going to stop for the night..
Day 2. After an early morning snorkle we headed to one of the top 10 beaches in the world, Whitehaven Beach. As you can see from the pictures it is absolutely amazing. After a little walk up to the viewpoint in the middle of the island to get some piccies we went down to the beach itself to catch some sun. Stupidly we decided to have a game of footy(not the best idea in a country with very little ozone layer and in the middle of the day). As we had a multinational boat it was decided to have England vs the rest of the world (Wales(me), Chile, Germany, Greece and Norway).
After scoring a first half hat-trick for the English and feeling the on set of sun stroke Phil decided to come off at half time. The rest of us stupidly carried on to finish of the game with England for once coming out on top 6-4!! (I blame the bloody Norweigan Jon Arne Riise lookalikes lack of passing!!)
After a bit of sunbathing and messing around it was time to head back to the boat and off to Pearl Bay where we spent our second night. When we arrived at Pearl Bay a few of us went for a bit of a swim and cool down round the boat, then back on board for bbq and beers!! Once we'd had our food it was time to relax and sit down to watch the sun set over the mainland which was pretty amazing, then once it got dark see the most starry night ive ever seen. There actually appeared to be more stars than sky!!
Day 3. Homeward bound.. The final early morning snorkle and a swim with the legendary Elvis (a massive Napolean Fish, not the dead bloke!) plus millions of other amazing fish and a few snotties (not mine, but a stinging type of jellyfish which resemble its name). With much sadness it was back to the boat and time to head back to Airlie Beach. Once the sails were up and we had been sailing for a while Captain Andy advised us that we were not allowed to take any alcohol back into port and we would have to finish off all that was left over.. After I had got rid of 6 or 7 cans of XXXX and VB plus large quantities of Goon (rancid cheap wine in a bag to those who don't know) we managed it just in time. It was still only 11am!! It was time to bid farewell to our fellow passengers and go our seperate ways. We'll at least till 7pm when we all met up again with the crew in the bar at our hostel for loads of free drinks and more fun and games!!!
ELVIS
Me, Fiona, Phil, Kerry, Nicky and Alex
Slap the Goon!!
written by  The Hulk on December 12, 2006 from Airlie Beach, Austria

Magnetic Island
Townsville, Australia
Magnetic Island.... Only planned to stay here one night but would have loved to do a couple more, just to chill out and unpack my bags.. We stayed at Base Backpackers and it has to be said its one of the best hostels I stayed in all the way up the east coast. Its right on the beach and its almost like a resort!!
written by  The Hulk on December 18, 2006 from Townsville, Australia

Cairns and Cape Tribulation
Cairns, Australia
Cairns and Cape Trib were the final stops on my east coast travels. It was also the last I was going to see of the Oz Experience bus, as there was no more travelling to be done. We stopped off at a couple of places before we arrived in Cairns, the first one being a Crocodile Farm just outside Townsville. This was a very strange place and was run by some old bloke with a few cowboy types blokes helping him out. After watching all the crocs being fed we were offered the chance to hold a couple of snakes and a big lizard. They also offered the chance to get bitten by a snake!?! All you had to do was stick your hand in its little cage and it would bite your hand. Now this didnt seem very appealing to me but obviously there were a couple of mooks on my bus who thought it would be hard.. They didnt look to hard when the little snake drew blood!! I grabbed myself a croc kebab and made my way back to the bus.
An aussie Christmas!!
A little further up the road we stopped at Babinda Boulders which was a beautiful place up in the hills. The boudlers themselves were'nt that impressive as they were just pretty big granite stones but the views were really good. I also managed to spot a few more massive spiders on the walk too.
Cairns itself was alot smaller than I had expected and despite the cyclone season starting the weather was really nice.. We only spent one night at our first hostel as it was way out of town and not the greatest in general. The next day me, Alex and the 2 Fiona's hired a car and headed up to Cape Trib stopping off at Port Douglas on the way for a swim and a walk around.
Port Douglas
Port Douglas is another rich town where alot of wealthy people have holiday homes etc.. After a walk and a swim in the sea, thanks to a roped off area to stop the jellyfish, we went for a bite to eat at a small restaurant on the main street. My meal was alright but the waiter was a very wierd camp American and at the end of the meal i spotted a rather large caterpiller in Fiona's salad!! Having got a large slice off the bill for our trauma we made a hasty exit and continued our way up to Cape Trib.
The Cape is famous for being the only place where two natuaral wonders actually touch each other, the rainforest (the oldest living rainforest in the world) and the reef. It is an awesome place and despite its beauty its not crawling with tourists.. Granted the cyclone season had just started but that doesnt stop people going to United States. We booked into PK's hostel showered up and went for a nice meal. As Cape Trib is entirely rainforest there was a stupid amount of large bugs about. One of which took a particular fancy to my big toe during the main course, I looked under the table to find a 3inch green beetle getting jiggy with my foot!!
The next day me and Alex went sea kayaking. It was really good fun paddling around the mangroves and we got to see stuff at really close range like Black Tip Reef Sharks, a couple of different Stingrays, Turtles and a Dugong (like a manatee.. and no it didnt have grob rot!). Unfortunately no Crocs despite a big 4m one being reported seen around where I took the second photo below. This photo was to be the last I took as on the way back round the headland me and Alex managed to capsize in he big waves and the "dry" bag my camera was in wasnt particularly dry!!
written by  The Hulk on December 19, 2006 from Cairns, Australia

Christmas in Sydney
Sydney, Australia
It's not cold, frosty, raining or snowing it can't be Christmas!! Oh yeah, they have Xmas in the summer.. Wierd!!!
Having been on my travels for the past month I didn't feel at all Christmassy when I arrived back in Sydney.. There were decorations all over the place but it just didnt seem right. This was going to be a Christmas unlike any other I've had or will ever have..
Me and the Weeman had been invited to Etchell's family gathering for lunch and other festivities. After joining all our other friends for a few drinks 'out west' in Toongabbie on Christmas Eve we were lucky enough to be invited to stay at Lee's house. After a few drinks and some dunken antics on the walk home we went to be for a relatively early night. The next morning we woke up to be greeted with a lovely brekkie made by Lee's mum and a few festive drinks with Lee's dad (think it might have been a bit early for a whiskey!!).
Etch came to pick us up around midday and we headed to the fun house. The weather was very hot and we ended up sitting out by the pool drinking Boddington's (Etch's dad and uncle are from Manchester) and numerous other ice cold beers. Then it was inside for lunch. It was a little different from what we are used to back home as there was no sprouts or xmas pudding but i was a feast and went down very well..
Strike an Xmas pose (me, Etch and the Weeman)
Once we'd let our dinner go down it was into the front room for what I'm told is a family tradition. One of the family puts on the Santa claus outfit and gives out the pressies! Much to mine and the Weemans suprise we were not to be left out and we got to sit on Santa's lap as well..
The lovely Etchell ladies
When all the presents had been handed out it was outside for the 2nd, and most famous Etchell family tradition, Street Cricket!! Now I've kicked a football around with my bro in the freezing cold on Christmas day in our new football kits but this was a little different. To go with the ashes it was to be the aussies v england (and wales for the weeman).
Its was a amazing day and it was really nice to have been allowed to see how they celebrate a family Christmas down here. Apart from the weather, street cricket and being by the pool, it was not that different from back home (except it was Etch getting the piss taken out of him all the time, not ME!!)..
Time for bed!!
written by  The Hulk on December 25, 2006 from Sydney, Australia

New Years and the Ashes
Sydney, Australia
New Years Eve. Location: Lowenbrau, on the Rocks, Sydney.
German bar, loads of food, steins of beer, loads of schnapps, awesome fireworks and a bit of dancing!! What more can I add.
January 2nd. Ashes 5th Test, Day 1. After sleeping for nearly all of New Years day as we didnt get in till after 5.30am it was destination SCG. Warne, McGrath and Langer's last ever test match. Having got up in the morning to torrential rain, the first I'd seen in the last few weeks, we thought we werent going to see much cricket. We headed to the ground anyway, unbrellas and jumpers were the order of the day. We arrived at the ground at about 10ish with the rain now just drizzle but not looking like it was going to stop any time soon.
After grabbing some pies for breakfast and some drinks we headed to our seats. Within half an hour the clouds just vanished and were replaced by clear blue skys and very hot sun!! Oh dear, with all the rubbish weather we had forgotten the sun tan cream!!! Error!!!
That was going to hurt.
Not a bad days cricket and England didnt perform too badly on the whole, got to see Warney and McGrath bowl in their last ever test and saw KP and Freddy hammer the ball about a bit. Despite the sunburn a pretty enjoyable day..
Oooh ahhh Glenn McGrath
Great bowling Shaaaaaaaannneeeee!!
written by  The Hulk on January 2, 2007 from Sydney, Australia

Happy Birthday...... The Big 3-0!!
Oh well, I'm now officially on old git!!! 30yrs old....
Got up fairly early for a change and opended all my cards (thanks very much!!), which I was very suprised to get. Then me, the Weeman and his lady (Katie) headed down to Circular Quay in the city. Despite someone letting the cat out of the bag, mentioning no names Flaz, I wasnt really sure what the plans were or if they had come to fruition. So when we arrived at Circular Quay I was pleasantly suprised to see a load of our friends there. We were going jet boating round the harbour!
Offered the chance to wear waterproof poncho's we all kindly declined as it was a really hot day and we would'nt get too wet.... Or so we thought!! It was great fun and not only were we getting to speed around in the jet boat the driver gave us a bit of a tour too. We headed all the way out to Manly then in past the Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour. So much for not getting wet. We were all absolutely drenched when we got off..
The evenings festivities started at the Australia Hotel for some croc, kangaroo and emu pizza plus some of their wide range of Australian beers. They have over 75 different types and I tried as many as I could.. Once we'd eaten enough aussie wildlife it was down the road to the Lowenbrau to carry on the fun. Martin took the fun a little too far when he emerged from the toilets without pulling up his trousers and was swiftly escorted from the premises. Not the first time he has been kicked out of a bar and it certainly won't be his last!!! Several steins and Jagerbombs later it was time to go home and begin to deal with being 30..
Me, Alex, Katie and Martin
Alex, Justin and Me...
written by  The Hulk on January 13, 2007 from Sydney, Australia

Put that in your pipe and smoke it Ricky!!
Today we were heading to the 2nd final of the One Day Tri-Nation Series between Australia and amazingly England. We'd had tickets for this game for a while and seeing how the poms have played all summer I thought I'd be watching the Aussies v kiwis!! As I'd already been to watch us get beaten in the test match and the 20/20 I didn't think I could manage another gloatfest from the "convicts"!! Hopefully today's game would make up for it.. 3 wins on the bounce and 1-nil up in the final was pretty good reading..
Flaz and Martin stuffing their faces
Having still been in the pub at 5am the previous night watching the absolute rubbish that was the Wales v Scotland 6 nations game, didn't make for a good nights sleep. Alcohol and the fact we got beat by the "sweaties" made it a night to forget!!
Me and the weeman made our way to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) a bit later than the others who went for a drink before the game, in need of no more drink we caught a few extra Z's. When we got there the weather was absolutely boiling and our seats, although were really good for the game, were in the worst possible place for the sun!! Luckily, unlike the ashes game I actually remembered to bring the sun block.
Lee, Martin, Flaz and Lauren were already seated when we arrived, Martin dressed in his ridiculous Barmy Army get up as usual. After 10 overs we were all struggling with the heat, me and weeman especially due to the previous night and we had to go and get some cold drinks and some shelter from the sun, unlike the England boys who after a shaky start looked to be doing pretty well.. The weather from then on got worse but the cricket just kept getting better and better!!!
After a couple of rain delays, one of which we got particularly soaked engalnd wrapped up their innings with a pretty good score thanks to another quality knock from the ginger maestro that is Collingwood. Having seen Glenn McGrath's last ever test match in the new years test, we now had the honour of seeing his last ever bowl in international cricket on Australian soil.. He got a couple of minutes standing ovation before he bowled it, then much to my dissappointment the bugger took a wicket and the crowd went mental..
The Aussies came out whacking us all over the ground for the first 5 overs then it all changed with a couple of quick wickets. A couple more big thunderstorms delayed the game a few more times, but didn't stop the English boys from showing those arrogant Aussies how to play! Having been out here for the entire tour and taking a bit of ribbing from all the locals about how poo England were, it was good to make them all eat a bit of humble pie!!!!
McGrath's final delivery.. hope he falls over!
Standing ovation for McGrath's last bowl
Bugger... He took a wicket!!!
Weeman enjoys one of the rain delays
written by  The Hulk on February 11, 2007 from Sydney, Australia

Big Day Out 2007
Big Day Out Sydney 2007.. Awesome!! BDO for those that dont know is a huge music festival a bit like Glastonbury or the V Festival. Loads of quality bands on about 7 or 8 different stages.. Due to the amount of stages and different bands playing most of us Split up, I spent the entire day with Flaz and Big Dave and had a really good day. We managed to get to see My Chemical Romance, The Killers, Tool, Crystal Method, Muse, Jet, The Vines, The Streets, Evermore and highlight of the whole day was Kasabian who absolutely kicked ass!!!
Lee, Louise and Katie
The Main Stage filling up
Jet
Killers
written by  The Hulk on January 25, 2007 from Sydney, Australia

Kia ora from New Zealand
Christchurch, New Zealand
Having spent nearly 5 months in Oz I thought I might as well head over the Tasman and come to see the sheep loving kiwis for a couple of weeks before I make my long journey home!!
After having a such a good time doing the east coast with Oz Experience I thought it was only right that I should do NZ with Kiwi Experience.. As I'd only left myself a couple of weeks to tour NZ I decided I would just do the south island. I left a very wet and rainy Sydney early morning and flew into Christchurch just after lunchtime and to my surprise 30+ degree heat!!! This isnt the New Zealand i was expecting, those extra jumpers and waterproofs I bought before I came out could be a waste of money!!
Having dropped all my bags off at the hostel on Cathedral Square I went for a little walk around the city..... After a good 15mins I decided there wasnt much to it and went back to my room. The Cathedral and a few other buildings are pretty nice, also the river through the middle of the city is really picturesque but all in all it is a fairly dull place. Shopping wise I would put it on a par with Wrexham!!
After a couple of beers in the bar at the hostel I decided it was time for an early night, my bus left at 7.30 the next morning and couldnt afford to oversleep!!!
written by  The Hulk on February 26, 2007 from Christchurch, New Zealand

Whale watching
Kaikoura, New Zealand
After leaving Christchurch early doors we headed north up the coast to a small town called Kaikoura. The weather had changed from the warm clear blue skies from the previous day to low cloud and rubbish drizzle. Looks like the waterproof I bought yesterday will come in handy after all!!
Kaikoura is famous for its marine life and I decided to go for a little boat ride for some whale watching.. When we arrived at the centre I decided it would probably be a good idea to purchase a couple of sea sickness pills, didnt want to make a plum of myself on the first day by yacking everywhere!!
No its not the Loch Ness Monster!
After a couple of minutes out of the harbour I realised the pills were a very sound investment! The boat was all over the place and was quite funny initially but when you realise your going to be on the boat for nearly 4hrs the fun goes quite quickly. Waves and buffering aside the trip was really good. We got good views of 2 huge Sperm Whales, a pod of 500/600 Dusky Dolphins playing around the boats, loads of Fur Seals and a couple of massive Wandering Albatrosses. With half my memory card full of rubbish pictures of water, and me feeling very sick we headed back to Kaikoura.
With the weather still pretty shitty we decided to just head back to the hostel (Aptly named the Lazy Shag, after the sea bird obviously!!), watch a couple of DVD's and get ourselves some quality fish and chips, or fush and cheps as they like to pronounce it here!
written by  The Hulk on February 27, 2007 from Kaikoura, New Zealand

Home of the Ring
Nelson, New Zealand
We left Kaikoura at a fairly pleasant hour and headed further north up the coast to Nelson. The weather upon leaving was pretty much the same as the day before and I was begining to feel a little depressed as I had visions it was gonna be like this for the whole of my trip. I need'nt have been so downbeat as by lunchtime the weather was starting to look up and there were even patches of blue sky. Then when we arrived in Nelson it was beautiful, warm and sunny. Not really suprising when I was told later that it has both the most sunshine and warm temperatures for the whole of NZ
Nelson is known as the geographical "Centre of New Zealand" and we took a little walk up a stupidly steep hill on the outskirts where there is a monument to celebrate the fact. The view from the top was really good and you could get a full 360' view of the surrounding countryside plus the citys of Nelson and Richmond and out over the bay to the Abel Tasman National Park. At the foot of the hill is a large playing Field where the first ever rugby match in New Zealand was played. With rugby being THE sport in NZ it is a pretty special place so I thought i'd get a piccie. This proved tricky because there was a group of small children playing cricket and i didn't want to appear to be taking an unhealthy interest in them!
The original home of NZ Rugby
With a full roast dinner included in our lodgings we headed back to make the most of some good food! You have to take advantage of these perks when travelling, supernoodles just dont seem to cover it!! After the meal and a few local beers, me and a some of the girls headed into town to see the jewellers that made THE ring from the "Lord of the Rings" film then onto a cool bar with a load of pool tables where I proceded to give a masterclass with the cue..
mmmm.. precious!!
written by  The Hulk on April 10, 2007 from Nelson, New Zealand

Lake Mahinapua and the legendary Poo Party!
Hokitika, New Zealand
Early rise this morning as we had a walk along the coast on the cards. It was a short drive down the coast to Cape Foulwind where we were to begin the stroll. The cape is a beautiful spot and is the furthest western part of New Zealand, it also has a large colony of Fur Seals and it is their pleasant odour that gives the place its name!!
Tauranga Bay
The walk took us along the cliff tops of the cape and round to Tauranga Bay. After Bodhi our driver telling us that it was about a 30min walk, 2hrs later we arrived at the bay to find him surfing his ass off and having a good time in the sea.. Despite the length of the walk it was really enjoyable, the views were really nice and it was good to get out of the bus and have some fresh air, despite the seals!!
Cape Foulwind
Tauranga Bay.... again.
Once everyone had made their way round the bay to the bus we headed off on the amazing State Highway 6 again. The landscape contantly changes along this brilliant stretch of road and from the Scottish looking scenery of Cape Foulwind and Tauranga Bay into the Hawaiian looking coastline of the Paparoa National Park and Punakaiki (Poo-na-kai-key).
Irimahuwhero Viewpoint (easy for you to say!!)
It was in Punakaiki where we stopped off for a bit of lunch and a walk down to the Pancake rocks. Some of the rock formations are really cool and along with the beautiful coastline I couldnt help myself but fire off yet more piccies!! Beacause of my tight schedule I was a bit disappointed I didnt have time to stop off but it is definately somewhere I'd want to come back to.
Pancake Rocks
Upon getting back on the bus Bodhi advised us that tonight, along with the BBQ, there was going to be a fancy dress party.... mmmm, that should be interesting. We would have 1hr in Greymouth our next stop to get anything we needed. Thinking caps were on!!
After much thought and upon seeing a Bob the Builder helmet in the kiddies section of the local Target Store my mind was made up..
Lake Mahinapua
Tonight we were staying at what can only be described as the legendary Lake Mahinapua Hotel, owned by the even more legendary Les. The place isnt very much to look at but it is one of the funniest nights off my entire travels if not the wierdest!! Les is the landlord and owner of the hotel and i reckon he has been around since biblical times!! As you can see from the picture he has certainly got character.
Les the Legend
The meal was really, really good and due to me being a big lad Les kept piling my plate with more and more venison. I wasnt complaning coz it was some of the best food I'd had in 6mnths..
After the food was done and dusted I took a walk down to the lake on my own to walk off some of the food and make way for the copious amounts of beer and other alcoholic beverages that were to be consumed later. The lake itself has great views was really quiet and it was nice to have a bit of "me" time. It was then back to the hotel to get ready with the fancy dress and party time.
Some of the fancy dress ideas were strange to say the least, there were 6 gimps, numerous prostitutes, drug dealers, policewomen and some I have no idea what they were!! Make up your own mind by looking at the piccies!! After all the drinking was over and the gimp off (dont ask!) was finished a few of us headed down to the lake, all be it a little worse for wear to check out the glow worms. Amazing little things if not a real bugger to find..
eh...eh......ehhhhhhh!!!
Bring out the Gimps!
written by  The Hulk on April 11, 2007 from Hokitika, New Zealand

Jet Boating
Westport, New Zealand
After leaving sunny Nelson we headed inland across to the west coast and the town of Westport. On the way we passed through the Nelson Lakes National Park and stopped off for a bit of lunch at the beautiful Lake Rotoiti. The only thing to spoil the whole experience was the first meeting with the lovely NZ sandflies. They are like a mix of fruit flies with mosquitoes! Nasty little b'stards...
Lake Rotoiti
From the lake we headed through some amazing countryside and on to Buller Gorge. Not suprising when this stretch of road is ranked in the top ten best drives in the world!!
Once in the gorge its time for some jet boating again. After being kitted out with all the gear, waterproofs, goggles, buoyancy aids etc we headed out for the boat with our driver Kane. It has to be said, it was really good fun but not as enjoyable as it was in Sydney for my B'day. The driver in Sydney was a little bit more mental, there were bigger waves, we got soaked and it was much longer. When both groups had gone out in the boats it was time to head into Westport our destination for the night.
Florian and me ready for action!
Despite the beautiful surroundings Westport could only be described as a "hole!". It is pretty small and consisted of one street, large playing fields and a supermarket. Despite my previous comments it took us 15/20 mins to find the said supermarket as we turned left on the one street instead of right!! Ooops.. After a fairly average pasta meal washed down with a few stubbies it was time for bed. Not much else to do!! Lake Mahinapua here we come...
written by  The Hulk on April 11, 2007 from Westport, New Zealand

Wild Boars and Helicopters
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
With some very sore heads in the group it was time to thank Les for his hospitality and head off into the mountains to our next destination Franz Josef. First port of call was Pukekura and the Bushman Centre. The centre itself is run by some bloke who used to catch wild deer on the surrounding mountains and hills by jumping out of a helicopter! He was also a bit of a knob!! After watching a film of people shooting and jumping on deer to the Top Gun theme tune I drew the short straw and had to get in and feed a massive Wild Boar by hand. Not something I particularly enjoyed after seeing Hannibal the film where they are trained to eat human flesh!!
Once we had finished our feeding the possums and stuffing ourselves with brekkie we headed off in the now really warm sunny day and left the wierd kiwi bushmen to themselves. Next on the agenda was a walk up to a viewpoint at Okarito through rainforest. Yet again Bodhi did his usual of telling us it was a 30/40 minute walk. What he didnt say was it was 30/40 mins each way!! He even covered up the signs with his t-shirt! It was a really nice walk despite the suprising heat and the views from the top were quality and you could get a full 360 degree view which included Mt.Cook and the Franz Josef Glacier our destination for today. What wasnt too good was the fact that I was sweating so much it looked like i'd jumped in a swimming pool! Thankfully I wasnt the only one. The walk down was alot easier and I managed to cool off before we got back down to the bottom where we had lunch and fannied around on the beach for an hour or so catching a few welcome rays. Not something I expected to do in NZ!
Over the rainforest to Mt.Cook
It was now off to Franz Josef village to book our trips for tomorrow. The choices being, a half or full day hike up the glacier or a HeliHike. Despite the expense I didnt think there was a decision to be made and went for the HeliHike, sod it you only live once! Once we had booked in and got all the arrangements sorted it was off to the hostel to for dinner, a few drinks, a couple of games of pool then to bed praying for the weather to be clear the next day.....
After a bit of cloudy morning the weather started to break just as we were heading to the meeting point. Because I'd chosen to do the HeliHike I got a nice lie-in in the morning and didnt have to get out of bed till 10.30! Everyone else in my dorm were doing the full day hike and had to meet up at about 7.30! Ha ha ha... You could now see all the way up the valley to the glacier and mountains behind! Once we were all kitted out with our jackets, socks, boots and crampons it was time to head to the helipad. Being afraid of heights and never having been in a helicopter I have to admit I was on the verge of wetting my shorts. Once in the chopper I all my nerves disappeared and the ride up the glacier was one of the best experiences of my travels. Despite the pilot throwing it around like a mad man the views were absolutely amazing and I had a stupidly big smile on my face. Being worried about weeing myself with fright was quickly replaced by the fear of weeing myself with excitement!!!
The 15/20 minute ride took us up to the top of the glacier and around then we were dropped off about half way up to start our trek. Our guide for the couple of hours we were to spend up there was only 18yrs old!! There are no paths or tracks to follow, the routes you take are cut out of the fresh ice by the guide with an ice axe. Dozy arse me was the first person to take a tumble as I was carefully making my way up away from the landing area. I soon learnt that the more confident and quicker you got, the safer and easier it
was as the crampons got more of a grip and you maintained your balance. By the end I was like Stallone in "Cliffhanger" jumping across crevasses and running about like a loon.. Some of the others in the group didn't cope as well and were scared shitless for most of the trek pottering around sliding and slipping all over the shop!! It is really hard to get perspective while on the glacier as everything is so huge. Something that looks like a little overhang of ice is in fact a 100ft cliff face!
The 2 and a half hrs seemed to fly by in no time and it was time to catch the chopper back down to Franz Josef township. I had the window seat on the way up so I decided to let Jimmy have my place on the way back down. Having initially been thankful of my kind jesture he wasnt too keen when we hit a bit of turbulence and the door was wobbling so much it looked like it was going to fall off!!
Thankfully the helicopter stayed in one piece and we headed out for a bite to eat then back to the hostel for a bit of a power nap to prepare ourselves for a bit of a session on the beers to crown a very, very enjoyable day!!
written by  The Hulk on April 12, 2007 from Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

Picture overload and the lovely Wanaka
Haast, New Zealand
After 2 days in Franz Josef it was an early start, not particularly easy after having only got to bed at about 3am!! Not one to sleep on the bus today was going to be hard work....It was time to head further inland and across the Southern Alps.
First stop of the day and the reason for the early rise was Lake Matheson. The morning was fairly misty but the mountains were clear and after being dropped off we headed off into the woods to find the lake. After to 15/20min walk we came to a little jetty on the banks of the water and beyond that one of the best views ive ever seen!
First Viewpoint
Once everyone had got their fill of piccies they all headed back to the cafe to get some brekkie. Me on the other hand had the urge to walk round the lake as there was another viewpoint on the other bank which looked to be in a better position. It was only half way round the lake on the 1hr 15min walk that I realised I didnt have a watch and had no idea what time the bus was leaving!! Add to this, the fact that it was starting to get pretty warm and the track wasn't particulary put together for people jogging round with flip flops (jangles to the kiwi's). It has to be said I started to poo myself!! The sweat was starting to flow and my feet were hurting. I must have looked like a right peanut to all the Derby and Joan's that I was meeting going in either direction, some of them even making witty comments as I passed them!!
Now THAT is a view!!
Much to my relief the view from the other viewpoint was absolutely amazing, considerably better than the first and fully justified me looking like a plum.... Dodging the amused OAP's I darted down to the front of the jetty and fired off about a hundred piccies then as quickly as I arrived buggered off back down the track.. With my camera fully loaded I upped the pace and made my way to the cafe and waiting bus stopping occaisionally to snap a couple more piccies as the landscape was as breathtaking as my jogging!!
Looking like a right sweaty mess I got back to the cafe and found everyone still sat round having breakfast. I sat down with the lads and asked them when the bus was leaving, after they stopped laughing at the state I was in they said it wasn't leaving for another 20mins! BUM!! Once the sweating had ceased I got a sausage roll and drink and got back on the bus..
From Lake Matheson we headed away from the coast through the town of Haast and over the Haast Pass, one of only 3 roads that cross the Southern Alps. Yet again the scenery is amazing and we stopped a number of times to get a look at some of the waterfalls and
Random Waterfall
other stuff. Once over the top we headed down into the province of Otago and Mt Aspiring National Park where Wanaka is to be found.
Otago's Dingle Burn Range
Wanaka is a cool little town and is fairly busy all year round. In the summer there are loads of water based activities to do on the lake and in the winter it is a major skiing and snow boarding resort. Due again to my tight schedule i only had time for one nights stay. After a free BBQ and a few beers we headed back to our room and watched Lord of the Rings which was on the hostels movie channel (when in Rome!)....
written by  The Hulk on April 16, 2007 from Haast, New Zealand

Queenstown: Extreme sports and extreme drinking!!
Queensbury, New Zealand
After a good nights sleep it was back on the bus for a little drive to the outskirts of Wanaka where we were to visit Puzzling World. It pretty much speaks for itself and is like a museum with loads of puzzles, brain teasers and funny mirrored rooms. After about an hour of fannying around and a bit of breakfast it was time to head out and make our way to the amazing Queenstown..
Puzzling World, Wanaka
The journey between Wanaka and Queenstown takes you from the fruit picking and winery area through to some pretty baron and rugged terrain. After stopping off just outside Cromwell to stock up on some amazing fresh fruit and ice creams we made our way down the Kawarau Gorge. The gorge is home to all sorts of water based extreme sports from white water rafting to river boarding. However its most famous for one thing BUNGEE!!! Kawarau Bridge is home to the worlds first commercially operated bungee jump run by Kiwi loon AJ Hackett.
It is with great embarrassment that I have to tell you that I didn't actually do a jump and is the biggest regret of my whole trip! Having seen loads of others from our bus do it and really enjoy it I felt like I missed out. Oh well, just means i'll have to go back!!! With me wimping out I took on the role of designated photographer.
From The K Bridge we headed onto Queenstown where i would be spending the next few day before heading round the remote southern tip of the south island. As we arrived into Q'town Bodhi told us of an interesting challenge that all is bus loads take. With this being the last night when everyone on the bus would be together we were all up for a bit of a laugh. The task infront of us was the Jagerbomb Challenge,
written by  The Hulk on April 17, 2007 from Queensbury, New Zealand