Apollo Bay

So I took a couple of days and left Melbourne. I was trying to decide what to do and decided on the Great Ocean Road. There weren't many places to stay along the coast, so Apollo Bay was it. This involved a train from Southern Cross in Melbourne to Geelong. A pretty short train ride, but then it was time to get on a bus. And if you are driving along the rough, but beautiful coastline in Australia, you can expect a lot of curves. And that is what I got. It ended up being fine (not so much on my return trip), but I wished I had gotten a seat on the left hand side. I was sure to be on the correct (ocean side) when I headed back to Melbourne.

Bus ride to Apollo Bay.

It was so beautiful all along the coast. However, in certain places, you could see where fires had destroyed some of the bush. There was so much that it's hard to imagine a fire that big. Stuff like this happens in California due to the very dry conditions, but I've never seen it except on TV. It was nice to see some growth in a few places, but it's going to take a long time for the area to recover.

Bushfire aftermath.

I eventually made it to Apollo Bay. I met a girl from Germany who was going to the same hostel as me, so we walked there together. She was actually trekking the Great Ocean Walk and camping along the way. I thought about doing that, but I would have had to get a tent and some gear. Although if I had known I was going to meet her, I may have tagged along a bit longer than I ended up doing.

After settling in, Barbara and I headed back into town to figure out our respective plans for the following day. Like I mentioned, she was walking, but just needed to button up her plan a bit. I on the other hand had no idea what I was going to do. I thought about hiking out and back for one day. Maybe doing a tour. Or something else. I was still pretty undecided that night as I was chatting with others at the hostel. But at some point, due to costs and companionship, I decided to tag along with Barbara. 

After getting our information, we headed to the beach and I went into the water. I had to check off a new ocean, and that is what I did. It wasn't quite beach weather and the water was a little chilly, but I went for it. I have now officially been in 4 out of the 5 world's oceans. In order, I've swam in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian (most recently), and now the Southern. Someday I'll get to the Arctic assuming it's possible. It would be a very extreme Polar Bear Plunge. 

Southern Ocean swim.

We walked around a bit and checked out the nearby harbor. The water was so clear. So unusual for a harbor with a ton of boats. We checked out the start of the walk as well. I would actually get a sneak peak on my run that evening, so knew exactly where we needed to go. We made a plan for the morning and eventually went to bed.

Harbor.

Of course it was raining when we woke up. Our plan of leaving by 9am shifted to 10am. At that point, we just decided to go for it. So after grabbing a few items, we hit the road. On our two feet of course. And the sun came out. We were in luck. 

The start of the the Great Ocean Walk.

The first leg of her journey (and the only leg of mine) was supposed to be 10 kilometers from Apollo Bay to Elliot Ridge. Although my Fitbit did tell me otherwise. We headed out of town and eventually hit the Marengo Holiday Park where I had to make my first bathroom break. Not knowing when the next one was and the tea at breakfast required the stop. We cut through the park and made our way onto the path that would take us along the water.

Art or something important?

We continued through the park and walked along some farmland, which was private property. It reminded me a bit of the path along the ocean on Nantucket in 'Sconset, where you can walk behind people's homes. We explored the various rock platforms and walked along them, as well as some beaches. Obviously at low tide. We stopped for a snack break before heading into the bush. 

Checking out the rocks.

We climbed a bit through the bush and found a great spot to eat lunch on Bald Hill. All along the way, we didn't encounter any other hikers, but we did come across some workers. They were ensuring the paths were clear for hikers. I appreciate them since I'm sure their mowers scared away snakes. Where we stopped was pretty popular since the workers also stopped there to take in the view. And what a view it was.

Can it get any better?

After lunch, we headed back down the hill and followed the track along for a bit. While I was on the lookout for snakes, Barbara was on the lookout for koalas. And she spotted one! It was high up in the tree, but we finally saw one. And then we saw 2 more. She spotted the 2nd one and then I spotted one. Although at first, I thought it was the one we just saw. She convinced me otherwise. 

The koala is there. I swear

We walked some more in the bush, along the beach, and on some more rocks. It changed enough that it was still interesting. And then things got real interesting. I spotted a snake. Barbara was in front of me, but I saw it first and gave her a heads up. Of course it was in our way. But no worries, we took a WIDE circle around. It almost looked dead, but I think it was just sunbathing. I think it was a Tiger snake, one of the most fatal snakes in Australia. Good thing I was watching out for them. And I was definitely not getting near it. We continued on our way and I kept watch for the snakes. 

Tiger snake.

We made it to Elliot Ridge campsite where Barbara was spending the night. There was no one else around. She thinks there were supposed to be others there, but I'm sure they were coming later. I hope so at least. I don't mind camping at all. But the idea of being alone with the snakes (and leeches!), was not comforting. And with that, I left her. I may have walked much quicker now that I was alone. I didn't want anything startle me. I headed out on the Elliot Ridge Loop path in order to get back to a road we'd seen earlier. There were a few cars parked, so I was hoping I could catch a ride back to Apollo Bay, or at least get to the Great Ocean Road. 

Alone in the wilderness.

Fortunately a family came along right away. And they gave me a ride to Apollo Bay. Of course the mother asked if my mom knew I was hitchhiking. I said, 'not exactly, but she did it when she was younger.' That wasn't a good enough response, but they were a friendly bunch. Apparently they holiday in Apollo Bay every year. They dropped me off at my hostel, which was perfect. And then of course I went in search of a beer to celebrate my hike. 

Local brew.

The following morning, I got up for a quick run along the beach (and a swim) before catching my bus to Geelong. I made sure I was on the right side of the bus. The ride out was a bit better. For one, the sun wasn't out. And two, I wasn't feeling so great with all the curves. So my eyes were closed for a good part of the ride. Oh well. I saw some really great things while hiking, so no worries. 

Spotted on my run.

When I got back to Melbourne, I decided to do one last touristy thing before leaving the next morning. It was my last opportunity to do the Eureka Tower, and I didn't have time to go to a sanctuary and see kangaroos (unfortunately). So I put my bag in storage and took a walk along the Yarra River. 

The Eureka Tower.

I headed up to the skydeck and spent some time taking in the views down below. 

High above.

After my tour of Melbourne from above, I headed to meet Robbie and Claire for my last night in Australia. We didn't do much, which was perfect. I had to pack my stuff up and do a few things. We had some beer and watched The Castle, an Australian classic. It was pretty good, although I'm sure I missed a few jokes. 

I had such a great time in Australia and was sad to go, but knew I'd be back some day. There's still so much to see. 

Melbourne

Back to Australia! When I was planning the Melbourne portion of the trip, I was seeing what made the most sense from a flight and the Australian Open point of view. It looked like there was a high possibility of having a layover in Australia when flying from New Zealand to Denver. So I figured I'd have it extra long and stay for the Open. So back to Australia I went.

I was also visiting an old friend from high school. Robbie moved to Australia years ago, met his wife Claire, and has since made Australia his home. I got to spend time catching up with him, and getting to know Claire and their adorable kids. And the first thing on the agenda was going to the Australian Open.

It was questionable for a minute whether I was actually going to be able to go. I thought about buying tickets months ago, but didn't have a solid plan on when I was visiting Melbourne. And then weeks ago, I looked into it again, and yet again didn't buy tickets. I finally arrived in Melbourne and still didn't have tickets. But no worries. We were able to secure last minute tickets. Literally an hour before the session started. So we got ready and headed to Rod Laver Stadium. We had the day session tickets and it wasn't too crowded. Also, the weather was a bit questionable. But I didn't care since since it meant the tickets were cheaper. And the stadium could be covered. We walked around the grounds and grabbed lunch before Serena Williams played Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland. Timing worked out as it started raining right before the match.

Serena crushing it.

I've never seen Serena played, even though I've been to the US Open a few times now. I've only seen guys like Murray and Federer. It was great to see her play, and of course dominate. Serena blew through the 1st set. The 2nd set was a little more interesting but Serena pulled through with the win. Pretty amazing to watch her in action.

We took a break and I got some rose to drink. It was the Open and the sun had come out at that point. So rose time. We then watched the 2nd set match where Angelique Kerber from Germany faced Johanna Konta from Great Britain. Well if anyone was paying attention to the Australian Open, they know Kerber won this match. And then of course went on to beat Serena in the Championship match. We almost left before the 2nd match, but so glad we didn't. We ended up watching the future winner of the tournament. Even though I was rooting for Serena.

Kerber for the win.

Throughout the coming days, we'd watch the various matches on TV and watch Novak to go on and win for men's singles. Pretty exciting and it would have been amazing to go to any of one of those matches, but the prices just skyrocketed. I'm glad I got to watch at least a couple of matches, and they were semis.

Up next on the Melbourne agenda was a run and a brewery tour. The following day, Robbie and I went for a run on the Tan, a track that goes around the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was cool and a bit drizzly, but perfect for running. I wasn't sure if Robbie was going to be able to maintain my normal pace, and surprisingly he did. And he didn't even run track with me in high school. We actually had a pretty decent run. 

Running the Tan.

And since we went running, we had to get beer. They go hand in hand. So we hit the Carlton Brewery. We had the 2pm tour so we grabbed lunch at the brewhouse and then started our tour. Just like in NZ, we had to be sure we were wearing our closed toed shoes and safety vests. 

Always safe.

The tour was very comprehensive and actually took a while. The property is pretty large, so we took a bus to the various spots. We started at the beer fermentation plant and then made our way to the bottling plant. During the tour, there were many questions and hence the longer the tour. It was all very interesting and a bit better than other tours I've been on. Finally it was finally time to try some beers. We made our way back to the brewhouse and got the lowdown on all the beers offered. We then were able to choose 6 tastes from the selection. To be honest, the beer wasn't my favorite. Although I'm still glad I did the tour and tried some more Australian beer.

Carlton Brewhouse.

The next day was a little low-key. I needed to do laundry and Claire was so helpful. So while we (her) did laundry, I relaxed and eventually went for a long run. Yes, long run. The first longish run since the marathon. It was a good run and decided to extend it while I was out there since I wasn't in any rush to get back. I found myself in Yarra Bend Park and ran on the trails along the Yarra River. Of course when I headed out, Claire warned me about the snakes. I'm like, 'wonderful'. Fortunately I didn't come across any. I have to say I may have run a bit faster in certain places, just in case. The park was very beautiful and it was fun running on some of the narrow trails. 

Watching out for snakes.

We headed into downtown Melbourne for dinner and had some delicious Thai food at Choo Choo's. The kids came with us and they were so good. I think the promise of ice cream helped. Yes, we got ice cream after at Max Brenner. I didn't realize there were other locations outside of NYC, but maybe I should have. It turns out it started in Israel and the first cafe opened in Sydney, Australia. I guess it's a good thing we went since there are more locations in Australia then anywhere else. I got a cookie and ice cream. Of course. 

Max Brenner dessert.

We spent one day visiting Mornington Peninsula outside of Melbourne. Unfortunately Claire had to work, but Robbie, the kids and I headed out for an outing. It was a little bit of a drive, but not so bad. We stopped at a few places along the coast to check out the view, and I got flake (gummy shark) and chips for lunch. My last fish and chips in Australia.

Flake and chips.

We continued on our way and went for a walk to check out the Cattle Jetty in Point Nepean National Park. It was really beautiful as we got closer to the coast and the walk was pretty. Melbourne was way in the distance. If we had more time, I would have liked to get on the ocean side, but the bay side was still beautiful. 

Cattle Jetty.

We wanted to hit up some wineries, but we were running out of time. We were only able to stop at one, T'Gallant Winery. We were able to taste a nice selection of wines before they closed up. Their pinot grigio was pretty good. I wish I could have brought some home, but I really can't travel with wine. I just need to remember where I went and keep an eye out at home.

T'Gallant Vineyard.

On Monday, I went into work with Claire. It was kind of fun to see how Melbourne residents do their commute. Totally doable. A few days prior, I had gone into Robbie's office really quick and it was definitely a little weird. Going to Claire's was even weirder since it was more similar to my old office in NYC. Working in an office for over 10 years and then going into one for the first time in over 4 months was a little strange. I felt like I needed to sit down at her computer and check my email. I didn't stay long though so the feeling passed. I checked out the view and then went out to explore Melbourne.

The Eureka Tower and Port Phillip in the distance.

I started off my tour of Melbourne with a walk down Hosier Lane. I heard about all the graffiti art, but happened to come across this as I was walking and spent about 15 minutes photographing. I love that they encourage graffiti art, especially down various alleyways. It makes them less boring and threatening. There was a group of Asian students on vacation as well. You know what that means. Selfie sticks galore. But seriously, you can tell they were excited to be exploring the city and were having fun with the graffiti art.

Hosier Lane.

I wandered around and made my way to the Royal Botanic Gardens. I ran around it, now it was time to explore. I didn't get a chance to explore much of the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, so wanted to spend a little bit of time in this one. I checked out the cool lakes, the beautiful flowers, and spectacular views of Melbourne.

Botanic Gardens.

I then walked to the Shrine of Remembrance. The memorial was built for the soldiers lost in World War I, and serves as a memorial for all Australians who have been at war. I walked around a bit and went up to the balcony to get more views of Melbourne. 

Shrine of Remembrance.

I was going to check out one last view of the city from atop the Eureka Tower, but decided to hold off. I was getting hungry and I needed food. I went to Arbory right on the river, per Robbie and Claire's recommendation. I asked about the New England lobster roll and needed to make sure the lobster wasn't coming from New England. It wasn't. So I ordered it. It was pretty good, especially with some beer.

New England Lobstah Roll.

I then went to do what most people do when they go visit a large city. Go shopping. Yup. I bought a few more things. I rationalized that since I was headed back to States soon, I could ship some stuff home for not very much and I only needed to carry it around for just a little bit longer. I bought a few warmer pieces of clothing that I figured I'd need in Denver and then parts of South America (well the cold parts that is). And the US dollar is doing well. 

After spending probably too much money, I met up with Claire and we headed back home at the end of the day. It was a pretty good day of sightseeing, but I was tired. I also needed to figure out my plan for Apollo Bay, where I was headed next. 

Anna Bay

I left the mountains and headed to the beach and hoped for better weather. And that is what I got. For the most part. After 2 trains and a bus, I arrived at my hostel in Anna Bay. The hostel was tucked away and not really close to anything. Since it was the only option I really had within my budget, I'm glad it was a nice place. Very reminiscent of Southeast Asia. They had structures throughout the property with paths through the jungle, or bush I should say. They also had the mosquitos. I thought I had escaped them for a bit. But due to all the rain and flooding in the area, they were out in full force. Fortunately all toilets were flushable.

Path to my room.

After settling in, I walked to the nearby Samurai Beach, about a mile away. I cut through a campsite and made my way through the bush, and eventually over lots of sand dunes to the beach. Unfortunately the sun was setting not on the water, so I didn't actually see the sunset. But I did see a naked guy. Yes, I did. The beach was pretty deserted and a guy had driven by me to one end of the beach. I was walking around taking photos and happen to glance over at one point and saw nakedness. I had to look again to be sure, very quickly, and definitely saw tan lines. It was getting a little late, and the sun was going down, so I wasn't sure the purpose of being naked at that time of day, but I won't judge. I decided it was time to head back before it got too dark, or before I got caught staring. As I was exiting the beach area, I did see a sign that said it was a nude beach. Hence the nakedness.

Clothing optional.

I met some people at the hostel and found that this was a popular place for Australians as well. There were people away for the weekend and on vacation with their families. I met an Australian guy who actually had a car and offered to drive me around the next day to check out the Nelson Bay area. In true Australian hospitality. We got some breakfast in Shoal Bay, hiked a little in Fingal Bay to check out the views of Fingal Split and Island, made our way back to One Mile Beach to swim for a bit, and then lastly to check out Soldier's Point and Salamander Bay. A pretty good day exploring the area. 

Checking out Fingal Bay.

For dinner, I hopped on the bus with a couple of girls from Scotland, and got some fish and chips in Nelson Bay. We hung out and had a couple of drinks, including some hipster beer. I called it an early night and headed back to the hostel via the last bus. They are pretty infrequent, I was tired, and I wasn't prepared to pay for a taxi back to the hostel. 

Fish, chips, and hipster beer.

The following day, I mixed up the day with some beach time and some exploration. This German girl was staying in my room, and we headed to One Mile Beach together. The day was gorgeous and as we made our way through the sand dunes, we could see it would be an incredible day. The day before was a good day for exploring since it was a bit overcast, but this particular day was a great beach day.

Sand dunes in Anna Bay.

And the water was clearing up. After all that rain, the water was a bit murky, But not so much any more. The water was a bit cold at first, but once you were in, it was so refreshing. The beach and water reminded me a lot of home. Just the landscape was different. I'm used to long stretches of beach. Here, the coastline is full of small bays, most of them with sand, but not all. The various points between the bays are typically pretty rocky and depending on the tide, could be a bit dangerous. The waves were a lot of fun, but the bay is pretty shallow, about waist high, for a good ways and where the waves broke.

The Tasman Sea.

After a few hours, we decided to go check out Worimi Regional Park, a crazy landscape of just sand. It was pretty incredible. You felt like you were in the desert. Until you look off to the left and see the Tasman Sea. They do camel rides and sand boarding. I already rode a camel, so didn't need to do it again. I thought about doing the sand boarding, but we really didn't have time. I was on the fence about doing it, so was ok either way.

Endless sand.

We hit up the grocery store and got on the next bus to Nelson Bay. Since I arrived in Sydney, I've been using my Opal card, which sometimes is pretty expensive getting around, and other times not so much. I was able to use that to get to the Blue Mountains and Nelson Bay which is good. But traveling around Sydney, you can quickly use up the daily max of $15. But on Sundays, you pay $2.50 AUD, and get to ride as many times as you want. We were strategic in planning our day this way.

We got to Nelson Bay and walked through the marina and walked along the water to Inner Light, a lighthouse according to my map. The walk was pretty nice and we shared an Australian golden ale we we hiked along. After some beaches and a pretty steep hill, we reached the lighthouse. Or I should say light cottage. It wasn't what we expected at all. 

Light cottage.

But we got some great views of the surrounding area, so it wasn't a complete loss.

Yacaaba Headland in the distance.

We headed back to the bus stop, grabbed some Australian shiraz, and went back to the hostel. The hostel hosted ice cream night, so I chatted with some of the other guests. A lot of them were there with their children, which is a little different from the last hostel's vibe, but nice. It's a good place to camp out for a week. I stayed up a bit too late chatting, but got in a quick phone call to my sister and dad before heading to bed since they were just waking up. 

The following morning I spent a couple of hours at the beach swimming and climbing sand dunes. I then had to leave and head back to Sydney. But not before I met a guy and his cute daughter named Nirvana. Yes, Nirvana. But apparently not after the band. 

Climbing sand dunes.

My trip back was pretty uneventful and I took one last ferry ride across to North Sydney to stay with Brian and his family. I got to meet his wife and kids, and watch some of the Golden Globes (but after I already knew who won). The next morning I headed to the airport to hit up the next country. But no worries, I'll be going back to Australia soon enough to explore Melbourne and visit an old high school friend. 

Very helpful departure signs at the Sydney airport.

Off to New Zealand for a couple of weeks.

Katoomba

Not too far from Sydney, were the Blue Mountains. I decided I was ready for some hiking a caught a 2-hour train west to Katoomba. Unfortunately it started raining on the train ride up there and really didn't stop for 2 days, and continues to persist a little bit on the 3rd day. 

After arriving to town, I covered up my new bag with the waterproof cover, which would come in handy over the next few days, and headed towards the hostel. I couldn't check in, and wasn't going to be doing any hiking, so after leaving my big backpack, I headed out into the rain to find lunch. I camped out at the Elephant Cafe for a couple of hours with the hope the rain would eventually stop. It did not. However, I took this opportunity to catch up on a few things, so no worries. 

Trying to stay warm.

After checking into the hostel and organizing my things a bit, I camped out in the common area for a while. Unfortunately the wifi was an issue. I've been having trouble with wifi since I arrived in Australia and I'm a little surprised that, one, it's not in more places like restaurants, and two, why it's so slow and inconsistent. The hostel was really bad and it didn't help that everyone else staying there was also trying to stay dry and entertained. 

I eventually got hungry so went in search for food. I grabbed some pizza nearby and hit up the grocery store. So far my stay has been super exciting. Given that it's more expensive to eat out here (this isn't Southeast Asia) and that most places I'll be staying in will have full kitchens, I may as well save some money by getting a few essentials. 

The following morning I woke up to more rain. So I hung out at the hostel to uploaded photos, worked on my blog, and other things. In the afternoon, I finally decided that I had to get out and do something. Even with the rain and fog, you are apparently able to see one thing, which are the Katoomba Falls. So I got my raincoat and bag, and headed out for a hike. The walk through the outskirts of town was pretty nice and may have been more enjoyable if the rain wasn't coming down. But I did try to capture a few photos.

Rainy scenes.

I reached the trail and made my way through some forest area before reaching a picnic area. After walking around for a few minutes, I finally found the trail to the actual falls. There were a few other folks out, so glad I wasn't the only one that had decided to do a rainy hike. The fog everywhere was kind of incredible and there were views that I'm sure would have been amazing if not for the mist. I reached the falls and was happy to see them. 

Foggy Katoomba Falls.

From the falls, I got on another path to check out a viewpoint nearby. I knew I wouldn't be able to see much, but figured it wasn't too far, so decided to check it out. And of course, I couldn't see anything. I know I'm in the Blue Mountains, but so far hadn't see any mountains.

Coming out of the mist.

At that point, I decided I was too wet and cold to do anything else. And it wouldn't have been worth it. I turned around and headed back to town. I reached the Yellow Deli to sit by the fire and warm up with a cup of chili. This would totally be normal back home this time of year. Since it's summer here, it did seem a bit weird. But I was cold. 

Chili in summer.

The next day was more promising. And since it was my last full day in Katoomba, I was going for a hike regardless. I just hoped I wouldn't get too wet. After talking to my friend about the possibility of meeting up in South America, I headed out with a packed lunch, snacks, and water. I reached Echo Point in some drizzles, but I was finally able to see the Blue Mountains. And they were impressive. I hung out for a bit and also checked out the Three Sisters, these rock formations close by. 

The Three Sisters.

I then started my 3.5 hour hike by going down the Giant Stairway, which consisted of about 800 stairs. Once at the bottom, I decided to go the long way to Leura Cascades. So I headed towards Katoomba Falls, but then veered onto Federal Pass, which took me through the forest at the bottom of the mountains. 

Federal Pass.

It was actually a pretty nice hike, with the exception of the rain that came a few times and the leeches. Yes, the leeches. After the leeches in Sri Lanka, I thought I was done. The funny thing was, I was actually more nervous about other creatures, like snakes. I actually have no idea whether there were any snakes in the forest, but I saw so many branches on the ground that were shiny from the rainwater, that I had to keep looking to be sure it wouldn't move. I'm good with the birds and other animals, just no snakes. And no leeches. I happen to look down at my ankle since it stung a bit and I see a leech had been latched on for a little bit. And then I freaked out. I noticed more of them and they were trying to get into my running sneakers. So I'm all by myself in the forest, trying to get the leeches out of my shoes, trying to balance on one foot as I do this. What a sight that must have been. I finally got them all out, or at least I hoped so, and started to jog a little to get away from them. Of course, rationally, they were probably more of them where I was headed, but decided being on the move was better. Then I was paranoid that I missed one, or more got inside my shoes. So I kept checking. Once I found a picnic table, I sat down (after inspecting it closely), and took my shoes off again to thoroughly check. It looked like I was in the clear. I decided to warn some of the other hikers and it turns out that one of them also had leeches when she inspected her shoes. I'm glad I wasn't the only one, but also glad I mentioned it to them. I continued to inform other hikers, even after I safely made it out of what I believe was the leech-zone. Man they creep me out. They are like little mini, blood-sucking snakes. 

I continued on my hike, at a little bit of a quicker pace, and made it to the bottom of the Leura Cascades. And the sun had come out at that point, for a few minutes that is. It was really beautiful and a different perspective than the Katoomba Falls. I continued up a bunch of stairs and made it to the top of the cascades. You really couldn't get a good view of them up high, so I'm glad I saw them from the bottom. 

Leura Cascades.

I was getting a little wet and chilly, and decided I was ready to go rest. So I exited the trail and made my way back to town. I made a stop at the Paragon Cafe on my way back to the hostel to reward myself of successful hike and escaping the leeches. I enjoyed some shiraz, burnt caramel ice cream (probably not the best idea since I got cold, but I love ice cream no matter the temperature), and some caramel chocolates. I stayed until they were closing up. Which is very early by the way. So many cafes and stores close around 5:30-6pm. I do wish they stayed open longer. I had laundry to do, so I need to get going anyway, but for other days, it would be nice to linger. 

Shiraz, ice cream, and chocolates.

My nights in Katoomba haven't been too exciting, but I needed a little bit of a rest anyway. And obviously time to do laundry. I think it took a few hours, but I lost track. And of course wifi wasn't working, and I finished my book. So didn't get too much done while I waited. I let myself be entertained by the young kids getting wasted. For the most part I've somehow managed to avoid too much of a young party scene, but have a feeling I may be seeing more of it in various hostels. At least the common area is quiet in the morning while I enjoy my breakfast. 

I headed out of town the next morning and of course it was blue sky as far as they eye could see. Definitely a great hiking day. Too bad, but I wanted to spend a few days at the beach. So I headed to Anna Bay, which is north of Sydney along the Eastern coast. And the weather looked perfect for the beach.