Date: 2003-04-09
To: Hello Land of Plenty ...
Miles today: 0.0

Well I've made it to the States and its 'Green for Go' - made it through immigration and customs with no problems at all, I can stay until the 7th of October which should give me all the time I need to make it from A to B (all being well).Currently sitting here in Sunny California where I can tidy up the last few loose ends of the hike before setting off for the Trail on the 14th.Things have gone really well since leaving Tasmania, although maybe I did drink a little too much - oh well, I'm on holiday and anyway it was nice to have had the opportunity, time and company to have a few 'swalleys' and a bit of a chin wag with - people I wont see in a while; some that I haven't seen in a while; and those others that fall into both categories - thanks to all of them for letting me into their homes while indulging me and enduring me all at the same time.The time was spent firstly with 4 nights at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast with Jim - where we managed to work our way through some of the local grog and in particular some Bundaberg Rum, as well as being treated to a spectacular display of natures glories when we had the mother of all Thunder and Lightening storms one night, which we had the pleasure of witnessing from the hotel balcony with a few beers (its a hard life),Then it was off to Byron Bay for a couple of days of taking it easy and watching the dolphins from the most easterly point on mainland Australia and a couple of nights taking it easy listening to some live music in the local bar.Next it was the train to Sydney and the Northern Beaches to meet Steve and Margaret and see how the other half live. Went fishing - although I didn't catch anything Steve caught a couple of small fry, spent some time in the National Parks around Sydney, enjoyed a great two day walk along the Coastal Path in The Royal National Park (highly recommended) before seeing where Cook set ashore at Botany Bay and got to travel in the ute and improve some of my Australian vocabulary.Lastly it was up to Brisbane and my cousin Tracey's wedding. Where as well as the celebrations themselves I had the opportunity of getting reaquinted with some long lost relatives, playing beer top trivia (I now know that there are 5 kangaroos on the back of an Australian 1 dollar coin and that Mel Gibson was neither born in Australia or Scotland but in the good old US of A) and I almost forgot - drinking some Bundaberg Rum. Anyway good luck to Karl and Tracey, thanks to everyone for the laughs and don't mention the fish!Its sometimes easy to take all of this for granted but every now and then it does cross my mind that its a real priviledge to be out here and that I am really very lucky to be having the opportunity to be doing all this, to be able to mull over the events of the last couple of months whilst also looking forward to what the next 6 months will hold.Thanks for the guest book entries and the emails and who would have thought that the Vale would ever will the league - I'm guessing I will not have been the only one indulging in a drink or two.Oh well I'm guessing the next entry will be from the trail.Bye for now.