To understand life we look backwards, to live life we must only look forwards.

Having been in Australia for a couple of weeks now, I feel I can say it's not really inspiring me....It feels soulless and I have no passion for it at all. It doesn't have the charm and character of other countries, it's westernised. I feel sort of numb inside here, it's all a bit of a 'nothingness' and my senses are dulled. The coastline is thousands of miles of flat and dare I say it uninteresting beaches, miles of golden sand with crashing waves - very nice, but very samey. There are some little gems amongst the rough of course, they are few so we 'max them out' when we stumble upon them! It's not entirely unexpected, it really is as I envisaged it but I'm struggling here and just not feeling the oz experience, it's definitely a young persons scene. I thought the culture might make up for the lack here but it's so inundated by tourists, the natives barely shine through - I'm not sure they're bright enough to shine through though having said that (if you catch my drift). Nevertheless we are enjoying the road trip experience together, it's special time in which life long memories are created. I'd hoped this adventure might change Owens long standing dream to live in America and whilst he likes it more than me, it's merely reinforced his desire to live the American dream....drat!

Arriving in Noosa, to mix things up a bit we head off on a wild camping trip to Fraser Island (or k'gari it's traditional name). Its a '4x4 tag along' where you get to drive off roading through the sandy beaches exploring creaks, natural lakes, shipwrecks and iconic rocks with evenings set around a warming campfire with a guitar, dijeridoo and Australian wildlife keeping you company at night. Sounds fab right?

It's difficult to find things to do which suit both Owen and I. On this occasion I called this one very wrong....or was misold a very expensive trip! I was concerned as an 'oldie' I may cramp the young ones style but was firmly assured by the agent it was suitable. This was utter rubbish however, and It was very much set to appeal to young travellers.

There were two older German women with their 5 younger children so they stayed together in a group.  I ended up in their vehicle however and one 'sergeant major' German mother (Ankor) adopted me as her third child, ordering and dictating my position in the vehicle. I did an excellent job of biting my lip and surprisingly spared this womans life....but it was a battle with the powerful urge inside of me not to pummel her into the ground!

The remainder of the group (around 25 people) were no older than early twenties, they were well educated from privileged backgrounds and the battle of the personalities begins almost immediately. There's a 20 year age gap between them and me and all my worst nightmares come true.....the gap was just too big to close! I feel like the unfunny clown at a kids party. Owen struggled too with the overbearing falseness resulting from people 'trying to hard' to be popular.

 The ferry journey across to Fraser Island 

 Deflating the tyres for off roading.

 Camp

 Our Group

 Swimming the creek.

 Star Gazing

The tour (with its hiked up prices) all felt like forced fun, like being at brownies or scouts. I'm sure the guide (fuzzy) is an alcoholic sociopath too....he thrived on his position of power but he's far too merry/*issed on the first night and being in his vehicle bothers me...he's reckless and it's nearly rolled on a couple of occasions. It's patently obvious none of his story's are true and his knowledge and experience is extremely questionable.....he's winging it, I know he is and he knows I know he is.

Now I love camping and have been on many occasions but this set up was terrible, one chemical loo (between 35 people) .....you can imagine the state of it right?, no wash hand basin, no torches (I destroyed my phone in the sand having dropped it using the torch) .....it was missing the very basics.

Frozen sliced ham in wraps and a single Maryland cookie for desert was quite unforgettable....the promise of delicious and nutritious food also undelivered. Surly for £300 each for two nights (a staggering £9,000 total bill for the group) you can stretch to a few necessities. Following a night of heavy rain, the tent, my shoes, towel and clothes are soaked, ...Ahhh man it's like being in hell.

Owen really enjoyed the overall experience, he stayed up late with the group with a few beers (I went to bed at 8 (as always) so I didn't cramp his style) , but he did remain on the periphery of the group, unconvinced also by the falseness of it all. I should note though In fairness there were a few great kids who stood out for me and overall the whole concept is wonderful and we managed to obtain some memorable moments. Fraser Island is un-evolved, remote and pretty, I managed to see the sunset and sunrise, remote and peacefully in the sand dunes...this was special.

On our return we had a day in Noosa, a quaint but 'upperclass' seaside town. We couldn't afford to dine or drink out here...everything was just beyond our reach financially. So Owen headed off for the day skating and I did a spectacular coastal and rainforest walk making use of the 'free' things to do. Our treat was a 10 dollar (£6) Thai takeaway with a few cheap beers during happy hour in the hostel ....living the dream eh!

Next stop Agnes Water / 1770. This was just a quick stopover to break the long journey. What a strange place this is. We arrived about 7pm and by 8pm the town was closed. It was bizarre, the folk are weird. It felt like you'd entered the Town of the Chainsaw Massacre  ....we joked, but quietly both felt we could be the next victims of the local serial killer, it could have been any one of them...the butcher? Liqueur store owner? hostel owner?!!! There was some very odd noises outside that night, I was up all night, I was a nervous wreck and wiped out the next day.

 The paperback forest walk, Agnes Water

We visited the local kangaroo sanctuary, this was fab, it was really lovely to see these animals up close. The eccentric, opinionated but passionate owner painted a very dim conspiracy based theory of the Australians approach to their native animals, estimating the majority of primary species extinct with the next decade. A woeful story, and sadly not the first time I've head it. It appears this country is extinguishing itself and it's heritage but there seems to be a distinct lack of interest to prevent it all happening from the seemingly dimwitted communities.

Next up Airlie beach and unbeknown to Owen we're here for a specific experience - a sky dive! Owen had told me when he arrived in Australia he would do one on the condition I didn't tell him when. We wake at 5.45am and he thinks we're going on a boat trip....I break the news gently that the day has come and it's received surprisingly well!

 Airlie Beach marina

 The night before.......

I am apprehensive as it's a very different feeling when your going to watch your child jump first (he called shotgun) and your natural protective parental instincts kick in.  I question quietly is this the right thing to be doing? But I can easily justify it in reminding myself .....it's called living Williams!! The battle of 'The Twits' gets underway and I know neither of us will back out as neither of us could stand the lifetime of ridicule from the other that would follow. We're tucked tight inside the tiny aircraft and alls calm, we're feeling pretty good and relaxed ...then they open the door and the outside world rips in. Owen dangles his legs from the plane and in seconds he's gone, they disappear below the plane. I felt frantically worried for him. I put my legs outside fighting every resistive instinct to climb back in ...and with a push fuelled by adrenalin we're gone immediately somersaulting through the air. The sensation is incredible, thrilling and exhilarating, the atmosphere and views are picture perfect on a crystal clear sky blue sunshiny day. You feel such a tiny fragile and vulnerable being, helpless in the moment and completely reliant on your parachute functioning. I could see Owens Shute floating subtly below me, I felt relief and as ours opened and the pull back kicked in I remained still enjoying every single second of being up there....simply incredible! Owen did amazing and I was very proud of him, a fantastic experienced shared between us.

 Sitting on the floor, legs tucked down the planes tail 

 Celebrating with a beer!

We spent the afternoon on board a little outrigger chilling with more beers as a well deserved treat after the adrenalin pumped morning. I really liked Airlie Beach.

Don't rock the boat!

Love for your children is like nothing else In the world. The feeling is quite simply, not describable in words. The thing that always surprises me is that the strength of your feelings never vary, falter or change - It's the one and only constant in life. 

It's 7am and I'm waiting in the hostel reception for Owen to arrive. I've spoken to him every couple of days whilst away but it's not the same. I've missed him terribly. He catches me off guard and unexpectedly bursts through the door with a beaming excitable smile (his braces removed after two years), a couple of inches taller than I left him but still as just as handsome. He's my boy. In this very moment nothing else in the world matters....I'm emotional but complete. 

The Big Reunion....after 24hours flying, a very tired boy!

It's difficult to accept my solo journey of discovery has come to an end. I can feel my personal self slipping away as the transformation begins from 'solo traveller extodanier' back to mum, protector, organiser and financier! It takes a little while for me to adjust from being one to two again but this leg of the trip is all about Owen. The east coast of Australia is primarily focused around the young backpacker and with Owens desire to travel at the end of University, I'm hoping this experience will enable him to understand how to manage yourself on a shoestring budget....and our budgets already seriously creaking!

   

                                                                Our East Coast Roadtrip Route

In the days that follow Owen proves to be a wonderful little travel companion. It's evident his first year away from home has domesticated him and he has a more independent outlook on life....he has very little expectation. He fully accepts the budget constraints and offers solutions to food resources and recipes un-phased by the very basic hostel facilities. He assists in navigation around the city and is clear and very 'together' about it all and in what he would like to do. His one gripe is photos, he's not shaken his dislike of pictures of himself which makes me sad and I'm hoping I can break this barrier down! We head off out to pick up a skateboard deck (he brought his trucks and wheels along) and he's then off almost immediately to find the local skate facilities in Sydney. I go to watch him and it gives me flash backs of the young boy growing up I used to watch for many an hour.

Sydney is a bustling City and we have a couple of days chilling (allowing Owens jet lag to settle), exploring the harbour and famous landmarks before heading up the coast. Owen loves the city, still caught up in the 'newness' of the road trip but I'm not so keen, there's nothing 'wowing' me here and I'm quickly ready to move on (we return to Sydney for a week at the end of the trip to explore the wider field...Bondi Beach, Manly etc,)

Sydney Harbour Bridge & a forced smile!

It's our last night here and on our return from the Sydney harbour bridge we pass a lively bar, it's around 6pm. We walk into what can only be described as carnage. Everyone (with the exception of the bar staff) were steaming drunk - no exceptions. There are eyes everywhere... everywhere except where they were directed. There's a solo guitarist entertaining the crowd who are dancing and revelling in the unnatural atmosphere. We perch ourselves at the bar thoroughly entertained by what would be a perfect comedy sketch! As the next four hours pass we steadily work our way into a similar stupor, fully conversing and integrating with locals ....and schooners! By 9.30pm my number is up, the lightweight is finished and I return to the hostel ......with Owen returning around 2am after meeting solo travellers in the hostel bar!

Next morning we have to check out by 10am.  We are homeless until 2pm the following day (28 hours time) as we're catching an overnight coach to Byron Bay our next destination. It's 9.40am and I cannot pull myself together. I'm nauseous and sweating, I can't do vertical. By 9.50am it escalates into forced action....I have to run down the corridor, bursting (practically taking the door with me) into the busy communal WC block to embarrassingly projectile vomit ...literally  everything consumed in the past 24 hours makes an appearance. I return, pale, panting, dishevelled and feeling very sorry for myself. Owen bursts into laughter at the state before him, his cracked red eyes however indicate all may not be as perfect as it seems under his surface! It's a disaster but we somehow manage to pack and check out. We're in a mess and the next 24 hours were punishing.....I only had 4 schooners (which are about 3/4 of a pint) but ughhh never ever again!

After a long uncomfortable night travelling we arrive at the hostel at 6.30am - it's closed and it's still dark. We sit on our bags awaiting the sleepy town of Byron Bay to bounce into life. As it begins to wake the rising sun, barefoot surfer dudes, street guitarists, fortune tellers and hippy shops amalgamate into a happy Cornish but Americanised seaside town. It has a wonderful feel to it, it's so calming and I'm much happier here. We take a walk to the famous lighthouse and did an ocean kayak trip which ended with me hilariously capsizing our dual kayak as it snagged in a incoming wave. We squelched home laughing with Owen firmly placing blame for the very public humiliation in my camp!

Homeless!!

Byron Bay lighthouse walk

Not a great look...Pre-capsize!

All going well...

The Ending

....we're under there somewhere!

We've upped our pace now and begin a run of fast moving arriving firstly in Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast. Neither of us are greatly impressed, the contrast from Byron Bay is stark. Whilst the beach is deserving of its name, the main strip is tacky - it feels like Florida with a sprinkling of Benidorm on top. There are many locals holidaying, it's 'common' with people sporting vulgar tshirts and distasteful tattoos. It wasn't helped that our only day there being dampened by rain. The atmosphere improved at night but not greatly, the cheapness of the strip was merely dulled by vibrant lighting. Owen also had his first 'taster' of a bad hostel. It was grim....the room was like a prison cell, the sheets weren't clean and an eyelash on the plates in the filthy kitchen left us pining home comforts....it was bad. We only had to endure one night but we struggled even with that.

'Viva festival' was on.....says it all really!

Next up Brisbane ...again just a one nighter to make a connection. It's another city, but I like it much better than drab Sydney. It has a contemporary vibe, a futuristic infrastructure with access across the river via a myriad of bridges. We visit the South Bank (trendy area), a French festival enjoying a drink by the river during happy hour. Our YHA hostel is the best so far, central, a roof top pool and dining area with stunning views across the city is the icing on the cake. 

Brisbane YHA Hostel

Street Art

South Bank

Brisbane Central

The cost of living in Australia is unbelievably high and frustratingly it's not value for money, there are much nicer places I've seen for a fraction of the cost. You cannot get decent hostel accommodation for under £60 per night (that's just a very basic room with shared welfare facilities) A pint of lager is a minimum of £7 making it almost impossible to have a 'care free' evening on the town. To ensure we can do some nice activities we are literally on rations. The day begins with a supermarket bought croissant and sachet coffee, with hostel cooked pasta or soup to keep us on track....it's really tough. I've lived like this through New Zealand and Australia now and as time goes on you find yourself pining just a few treats, Owen is too polite to say and understands why it's like this but he's struggling with the monotony of the diet. This is not a whinge, we're both very grateful for the experience but we need to remember the tough times as well as the greatness. It's definitely not glamorous but I'm determined to ensure we get the most out of this trip whilst demonstrating the sacrifices you have to make along the way. 

Owen on cooking duties!

His masterpiece.

Entertaining ourselves at the hostel

A few supermarket bought beers, I've noblest my skills of opening the bottles with a fork - classy!

See you soon x