Aussie-tastic!

After spending around 1000 pounds in just over a week in Bali what with diamond rings and new cameras, our 'engagement honeymoon' really needed to end today, especially as we were to jet over to Australia where prices would be at least double what we're used to. Indonesia in whole had been truly spectacular and equally as romantic, so leaving it brought a small lump to my throat. Seeing as a month ago we were really looking forward to finishing Asia and getting to Aus for the comfort and ease this was quite strange and made us realise just how much we've adjusted to the lifestyle here and adored every moment of it over the last 3 months. Normality seems quite a boring prospect but with so much planned in Australia there was surely so much to look forward to. We will definitely be returning here one day.

Our last day in Sanur wasn't quite the relaxing day we had planned by the pool, and instead we ended up spending our time packing our bags, spending over four hours on the Internet putting up our Indonesia album and attempting to find the local post office in the boiling heat to send our impressive collection of goodies from Ubud home.

We finally got time to relax at 6pm, just an hour before our taxi was booked but after our full day we both had cracking headaches that not even a comforting swim could fix. Anyhow at 7pm we both said our goodbyes and left for the airport with Laura now in an even worse state with a full blown migraine. The moment we arrived she was on her knees with strawberry flavoured vomit full flowing from her mouth down the nearest toilet. A while later after checking ourselves in with Laura desperately trying to keep down chunks we reached the departure lounge where a second display of fluid gushed out- this wasn't looking good!

Two hours passed with Laura passed out on my lap and me being kept amused by the very soap like antics of the hordes of Aussie's around returning home. One couple in particular brought a grin that I found hard to stop reaching cheek to cheek when they had a hilariously loud argument from one side of the room to the other using all the cliched sentences you would expect on 'Neighbours' along with an impressive vocabulary of swear words.

We then got on the plane and Laura thankfully fell asleep for the entire journey to then awake just as we were landing through a rather nerve racking lightning show just outside our strobing window. Soon after our feet touched Australian ground for the first time the small remains that existed in Laura's stomach then decided that they also would rather come out then stay in. Luckily again she re-introduced herself with her food in a nearby toilet instead of on the lap of the woman at passport control who we were a few feet away from at the time. Not the best start to a new country!

When we had collected our bags and reached outside we met a hugely helpful, friendly bus driver who said he would take us to Darwin town centre where we could get a good nights sleep in. He was a right character and I couldn't help but think of a certain Harold Bishop. We drove through a heavy, satisfying storm and reached a street packed with hostels, all of which were closed that is. Thankfully a hostel opened its doors for us after one short telephone call with a very lively man replying on the other end. We were met by a long goatee'd metal head with the most strange sense of humour but definitely all the better for it and shown to our room. A very clean room at that, complete with TV, air con, lush bed and even a fridge as standard, but this certainly came at a price. Our 10 pound a night days were now over and it would be four times the price at 40 quid from here on in!

Early the following day, two young cleaners got quite a shock when they opened our bedroom door to a rather naked me, outside of the covers complete with bits dangling off the bed- needless to say that we were quite shocked too! A marathon sleep session then took us up to 1pm where our bodies should have felt a lot more revived then they actually were. For such a short plane journey we were feeling more jet lagged then any other flight we had taken so far.

Getting breakfast at anytime of the day in Asia was never a problem but here in Darwin it seems everywhere closes at 2pm! Ok, so trying to get it at 1.45pm is a little lazy of us but restaurants actually closing this early for the entire day? This wasn't our only issue, it seems the food is also way WAY more expensive just like our accommodation and we were going to have to start cutting down on how much we eat which for me ends up in a grumpy Blake. Luckily not far down the road we found a place doing all day breakfasts and a whole menu full of delights for Laura and I. Our 20 pound breakfast was certainly worth it when it came out and it seems paying four times the amount in money lands you with four times the amount in food! Ohh we were happy, utterly stuffed and did I mention the mugs of coffee!?

Despite the best tummy full we'd had in a long while we were still incredibly sluggish and the day was almost over. We decided to take a stroll over to the nearest beach where we were met by a staggering sunset over the sea. We found a kid's playground and took a seat on the miniature swings where we stayed for hours nattering about our travels so far and the large amount still to come. It was one of those moments where we both took a step back on ourselves to realise what we are actually doing and achieving on this year off. At the point it hits you your body is just filled with huge excitement and a buzz that could make you just explode with joy. We didn't explode thankfully and headed to a local supermarket to buy some food for the next few days as eating out for every meal was not an option anymore! The greatest purchase was a box of Tetley tea bags which we made good use of just before we went to bed!

I was luckily dressed the next morning when the cleaners knocked on the door, both with big grins. We thought we would make more of an effort today to explore Darwin so made a packed lunch and headed to the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful well kept park full of green grass, pretty plants, interesting birds (of the feather kind) and friendly Aussie's! We munched our cheesy rolls on a bench under some palm trees and then moved on towards the rain forest area. A few minutes later we were suddenly met by a rather long yellow friend who was blocking the path to which we both quietly and calmly muttered something like "ohhhhh, uurmmmmmm". This snake was easily our biggest and most evil looking yet taking up the entire path in length! It slowly slithered across into the bush and we walked on still quite in control but with hearts beating somewhat faster. Within the next few seconds a lizard then jumped out from the under some leaves to which we both jumped a mile and when another creature made a sudden pounce I couldn't help but shout out at the top of my voice "FUUUUCK!!!!", right in front of a nice local old man as well! Things got worse from there and we both turned into utter nervous wrecks as we moved further into the forest and Laura just thought she was going to puke. We left shortly afterwards.

We then went to seek a new beach instead to relax a bit. It certainly did the trick as yet again we had an even more beautiful sunset filling the sky with waves gently crashing in front of us. It's not advisable to go in the waters here as at this time as they are filled with box jelly fish (in which we saw a few washed up) so we just sat up on the hill of the sand dunes and found each other pretty shells and watched the sun go down, awwww.

That night we received some big news from home about our wedding next year. Not only had the vicar said the date is free in the church for when we want it but we also might have found the perfect location for the after party in a lovely looking barn nearby! We then spent the evening and almost entire following day making further plans and replying home some ginormous emails full of questions eager to be answered. Still, it was good to conserve our energy as we prepared to hit the infamous Aussie outback!