I would like to say we hit it "big style", I would like to say we hit the town and painted it red, yellow or whatever colour you paint a town when you hit it "big style" but at this point we were so bloody broke that we were surviving off rusty tins of beans and chicken flavoured noodles. Any money we had went straight into petrol. Life in a purple and green tin can can be harsh. When we arrived into Sydney we were broke, smelly and hungry so the only thing we hit "big style" were the showers. My lawyer (Conor) headed into the centre to chase after some French business transactions (that's for the boys in the exford) and I headed out to Springwood. Jo and Jim Cashman are living saints. To those of you who dont know them they are my Gran Aunt and uncle. While they were about 1000k away in a lovely placed called Colac outside Melbourne they allowed my lawyer and I to stay at their beautiful home in Springwood. It rocks out there. Out in the middle of the Blue Mountains. I can tell you that after spending a week or so living in a bed that had wheels and an engine it was so freaking good to sleep in a bed!
With our bellies filled and our spirits soaring we hit a lovely place called Palm Beach. If you don't know what this beach is famous for you should watch THIS but open it in a new tab.
If that made no sense to you we were at the home and away beach. Now before you go off ranting "Oh god this twat watches Home and Away" (or H&A for the buffs) There was not much else on the cards for two broke Irish guys in Sydney. It was a bit windy but it was still warm so we went for a bit of a surf. It was good but there was only one set back. Seaweed. At one point I turned around to Conor and shouted over the breaking waves "I have NEVER been in this much seaweed in my life." It was no ordinary seaweed. In Ireland you can take baths in the stuff but at H&A beach you could sand wood with it. It was akin to taking a wavy bath filled with sandpaper and fibreglass. Ive head or ex-foliating but this was ridiculous and missing a layer of skin we headed home.
To be completely honest not much else happened in Sydney except Conor and I regenerating lost skin and a bit of down time. We headed south after a day or two to see if we could go canoeing down kangaroo river out in kangaroo valley (bet you can never guess why the area is called Kangaroo Valley!) but Australia is having its worst floods in a few decades and despite Conor and I thinking that the extra few meters of water would make it more fun they were closed because of the weather. So we decided to go climb a mountain instead.
Mt Kosciuszko
Its named after a polish freedom fighter and was first (officially) climbed by a polish explorer in 1840. 170 years later Conor convinced me to go on the 21k trip up four mountains ending with Mt Kosciuszko. I bitched and I moaned but Conors simple encouragement was "Man Up" So with a fierce hangover and half a subway sandwich for lunch we headed out. I didn't regret it. The snowy mountain range in Oz is breathtakingly amazing. There was snow and hills and all the usual explorer titbits. It was the first time I was cold in about 5 months. The walk back to the car was the longest walk of my life. The longest, coldest walk of my life. We slept in the van and it was finally time for the last stretch of our trip. The road to Melbourne.
Now open and play THIS in a new tab and read the next part of the blog.
Is it playing? Right. I have to tell you something my hansom readers. I am back in Ireland. Its cold here, really FREAKING cold I dont know if I can afford to go back to my adventure land. Im a little worried that Il have to start being an adult and all that malarkey and Im also a bit sad that my trip has come to an end. I have come home for Christmas and I promise il give a few updates on what its like in my home at this time of year because it is extremely entertaining.
That last weekend in Melbourne was great. I met my good friends in the exford hotel in Melbourne and caught up with very good friends in St Kilda. I wish I had more time. I miss them and that town. Perhaps I will have some sort of Xmas miracle special and be able to afford to go back but I need to think seriously about what I am to do with myself. Its not all bad. Its great to see my family and friends. Bloody fantastic. Next up will be my Christmas post. Chat soon
Redman
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