Hello. Stephen here. We left a raining Sydney by coach at 1pm on Monday - bye bye Sydney. We were on our way - free as birds. However, I was getting stressed. No more security. Carrying everything on our backs - how would we cope? Plus my knee was still smarting from the weekend.
But after a three hour journey (US Marshals on the video - I didn't watch it) we arrived in Newcastle. It wasn't raining, but it was very windy. The hostel was nice - a heritage building, big staircase and roaring fire. We immediately signed up for a free meal at a local Irish pub - they get the backpackers in by giving them a free meal and the backpackers buy drinks. Everyone wins.
We met in reception at 6.30pm, and walked to the pub with ten others (in line). Anne didn't like this. It reminded us of ITV's Club Reps programme and we half expected to be made to sing dirty songs. We were feeling quite antisocial. Oh dear - bad us. When we got to the bar the free sausage and mash was just fine, and we got talking to an Aussie couple who were travelling around. We left after two drinks and were in bed by nine (after sitting reading by the fire for a bit).
Next morning were were catching a coach to Port Macquarie at 10. I got in a strop when we didn't have milk for coffee. Grrrr - need my morning coffee. I was being irrational and calmed down after a bit, but realised I need to change my routines and work out what I need and don't need. We bought milk when we got to Port Macquarie - job done.
On Tuesday afternoon, just after we arrived, we went to a Koala Hospital, run by volunteers. There was some information to read (which Anne, as ever, lapped up in style of Number 5 from Short Circuit) and then there were several pens with trees in. We got to play Spot The Koala as we looked in the trees. Some had been brought in suffering from burns following bushfires, others had been attacked by dogs or hit by cars. Some had "wet bottom", a form of chlamydia (sp?). One particularly was a sorry sight. She was almost blind and would never leave the hospital. We watched a lady feed her with a milk solution, and the koala was the most animated we've ever seen one. It was quite amusing. Anne got all soppy - I doubt she'll ever want to eat a koala sandwich again.
Later that same day, we were walking to town when Anne slipped on a metal grate and fell like a sack of potatoes. I didn't have a chance to try to save her, though obviously I would have done my best had I had time. She fell on her hip and elbow, and got a wet bottom. I offered to take her to the koala hospital to see what they could do, but she refused medical attention. There was nothing I could do - Anne's and awkward patient. She soldiered on, moaning. It was raining, and didn't stop raining before we went to bed (past ten this time!)
So are we coping? We're pretty fussy people, so I guess it will take us a while to get out of our routines. Many of the other backpackers seem to be gaunt and unhealthy, with persistent coughs, so we're determined not to fall into similar habits. Most are also well under 25, so we're feeling pretty old. But this morning was nice and hot and sunny. We wandered around Port Macquarie, and sat on a bench reading our books in the sun - glorious. The coast here is pretty spectacular, with some big waves. I think at one point we may have even started to relax!
So, on to Coff's Harbour by coach in an hour or so. We're spending two nights there (and then have at least two nights at each stop until Brisbane) so we can slow our pace a little. Go, laid back us.