Consider a cool ski resort, take out the pretentious tossers, make it sunny and 28degrees in winter, give it miles and miles of beaches and thats Byron Bay.

The place has become popular over the last 30years or so with the backpacker crowd and now everyone goes there. There are hundreds of bars - open air bars, beachside bars, cocktail bars, sports bars, even bars that show the liverpool match at the weekend....

There are restaurants of every genre and shops to suit all tastes - as long as its cool.

We stayed in a 'holiday village' that gave us a mini apartment with ensuite for 30pounds a night. The bed had a dip in the middle and there were noisy, dirty travellers around, but having spent so little on accommodation, we proceeded to drink so much that Hurricane Katrina's older sister could have swanned in and we wouldn't have noticed.

We started in such sophisticated style - cocktails on a first storey terrace overlooking the town centre, with tapas. We ended up in the sweatiest backpacker bar in the world - the sort of place where girls in miniskirts forget that they're dancing on tables and 'ten shots of sambuca' is a standard order. No matter where you are in the world, a horrendously drunk irishman will still try and pick up your wife - he was, in fact, a very pleasant pharmacist who'd trained in Brighton so had plenty of chit chat for us.

Much more importantly, Lou got her wedding present - the board. She loved it when she first saw it, and having surfed it twice, she still loves it. I also succumbed and bought a board - a much longer, more plain epoxy resin board (as opposed to fibre glass - harder to dent and floats better - good for an idiot like me). I played on it only once and it seemed to float, so we'll get along fine. She's called Rosie for no good reason. When i emulate Kelly Slater, i'll upgrade Rosie for a newer model (try it with board first, then i'll see about Lou....).

I suppose we're getting used to life in a new country, slowly. Even though they're all English really (they all claim to be english here, not born and bred Aussies) and the language is fairly similar, there are certain things you need to get used to. For example - if its too cold in the car, you open the window, or flip-flops are called thongs and they're only for wearing if its a smart day - bare feet will do just fine for all occasions except (most) job interviews and (probably) funerals.

Well, now we're back in Coffs, working for two days and having two off, then working three days and getting three off. Not sure if our next adventure will be quite so exciting, but we'll keep you posted on our dull little lives.

I really hate Australia. Dont come out here, any of you.....

(Dooner - australian for duvet, perhaps something was lost in translation on the ship over...)

 

In my mind, Coffs has gone from being a slightly ugly indusrtrial town to a quaint seaside town with a busy bit unfortunately attached. Its not quite been designed properly, with the town centre 1.5km inland, with all the surf shops and banks and pubs away from the bit where you think everybody would like to live. Everyone answers my question as to why there are no buildings next to the beach here, in the same way - its to preserve the natural beauty of the area. But why did they decide to mark off this area of outstanding natural protected beauty with a dirty great train line? The only thing closer to the beach than any shops, cafes or apartments is the freight train line and a swathe of patchy grass.

 

Pubs are nothing like i expected here - i thought the famous ozzie drinkning culture would spawn lots of nice bars supplying a good drinkning environment. But no, they are school canteens with beer taps. Pubs have long plastic tables, posters stuck up on walls and you wouldn't spend more than one fight in any one of them.

 

Finding a place to live has been a nightmare so far. There are hundreds of properties sitting empty, but they're all reserved for the 4weeks in the summer when australia, by all accounts, descends on Coffs. In summer, a 3bed apartment rents for 2500dollars a week. The same apartment rents for 380dollars a week, fully furnished when on permanent rental. So the management team of said apartment block (the only places within walking distance to the beach, near the nice cafes) are completely f****ng useless, promising that they'll find us a place and delivering nothing. Every day its "number 47 is moving out, number 22 is moving out, its yours. And then they're not moving out, or its their brother who holds the rent contract and still wants it. Even though he hasn't paid the rent for 2-3 weeks. It seems squatter's rights a big business here!

 

Anyway, so on day 1 in Coffs, we met a doctor who said we should move into his house, because he'll be going in 2weeks. Well, we looked at the little seaside town and wrote it off as too small and too quiet, the spent 10days running around sweating and getting upset. Well guess where we're going to live now.....(see piccies) Our opinion has been revised - the quiet seaside town is now exactly what we want. The fact that the house is enormous, only 20yards from the waters edge, with lovely ocean views is merely coincidental. Its also expensive, but we think its worth it. Plus, there's plenty of room for anyone who comes to stay (especially if they have two children who share bunk beds!)

 

The A&E department is a little quiet. We went in for the dreaded saturday night shift - between 5.30pm and midnight only 1 person checked in. There were four docs on duty. Lou and I did a night together last night (how sweet) - we saw about 15 people in ten hours. Everyone is friendly and will wait all night just to make sure their blocked up nose isn't SARS. On the other hand, there's the patient who chopped off two fingers with a chainsaw and jumped in his car to drive 45 minutes to the hospital, pouring blood. He had to stop a couple of times, because oddly enough, he felt 'a bit woozy'!

 

You may notice a theme from the photos - the beach is the main reason we came to australia - we've had our first surf. We brought wetsuits with us - unnecessary. The water is lovely and warm and the middle of winter sees daytime at about 27degrees. Going to buy a BIC surfboard (yes, BIC as in the razors) - 7foot 3inches probably. We'll get Lou's board at the weekend from Byron - its a long awaited wedding present, so pictures will be up when we get it.

 

No worries cobber.....

Landed in Sydney first thing in the morning on the wednesday. Painless customs and immigration setup. Bought mobile phones in the airport which are cheaper for us to ring UK numbers than it is to use mobiles in the UK itself!

Went to a hostel called the pink house and stayed there two days.

Dinner (in the middle of winter) outside on the quay, with a view over the harbour bridge and opera house -could have been a worse first meal.

Looked for a car on the first day without luck, found one on the thursday and took a ferry to Manly for dinner.

The car - a huge 4litre Ford Fairmont, blue, all the gadgets (very few of which work properly), left for Coffs Friday morning.

Stayed overnight at Port Macquarie - very pretty town with 5 beaches.

Got to coffs saturday lunch time

Coffs is a weird town - lovely long beaches, but none of the town is next to them. The main town is a mile or so inland but there's a small strip of restaurants and houses about 200metres inland, with a trainline between beach and everything else.

The hospital is a mile or so south of the main town area and a mile or so inland, next to the airport.

We've found a lovely apartment - the closest building to the beach in Coffs - 3bedrooms, two terraces, view of the ocean and marina (and trainline!). $380 per week - thats about 150pounds a week - way cheaper than UK especially considering our salary is the same here.

The people are just as you expect - everyone friendly, trusting, respectful. Patients are kind, grateful and uncomplaining. The A&E department is a 'busy' one - sees 35000 people a year - compare that with 150000 at Mayday and 90000 at West Mid a year! The only worry is that A&E docs look after the whole hospital at night and there are no seniors on site to give any help at all.

Bought bikes - just as well because the car broke down -needs a new radiator, and we'll get the aircon fixed while its there. and the electric windows. might even get him to look at the cruise control that doesn't work either. the engine works though. so does the fuel cap release button. but thats about it.

Join us next week for the next exciting installment....(see photos)

Finished our last day at work. R&M came and helped move the last stuff out of our flat and then we've driven off to exeter for some final goodbyes with lou's family. drove down, roof off, bike strapped to the back, in the sunshine. didn't get done for speeding this time, i hope.

messed around with computers for a while, as is the fashion in topsham road and lou went to see a pony, as is the fashion if you're  girl. i drank beer. as is the fashion.