Korean friend

nearly forgot to mention the Korean girl i met in hostel. she is very nice girl, i met here becos i needed to change my room 3 days ago. i stayed in the same room with her and chatted with her for a while. after that nite, she dated me for dinner together.

we just had dinner in the hostel and cooked ourselvies, but it was very good time for me as she cooked a korean style dish called "Thur-bok-i" rice cake with hot pepper paste...a little bit spicy, but very tasty!!!

coming schedual

it's time to explain my routine again...

tomorrow (25/7) i will move to Hervy Bay (about 5.5hr from Brisbane)
according to some travellers, it is a good place to stay and the hostel is good

i plant to stay there for 2 nites then maybe join a tour to an island named Fraser Island which is the largest sand island in Australia. after that i will move to inland...for details, i will update later ^^

take a break

today is my last day in Brisbane...
i dun have much feeling (it's true) maybe becos the bad experience in the hostel...anyway, i went to a suburban (urban village named WEST END) on foot. just want to spend some time.

Fortunately, i had a good time there. it is very interesting that i usually enjoy walking and i can usually explore new place

i had a cake and coffee in a Greek cookies & sweets cafe. so relax!!!
it was a good time for me that i m relax enough to think about what happened in the past few days...

i think i m too stress as i gave too much pressure to myself when i arrived here...i tried to fill up all my time but actually there are not much activities here ( i mean interesting for me, as i dun want to visit the zoo for kangaroo, koala, croco...or go to the beaches)
finally, i dunno what did i do.....so sad!

maybe i need to take a break and refresh myself...

Mt. Cool-tha

In Brisbane

i have been here for five days, and got some unhappy experience...

the city is not as friendly as i think, becos of the hostel. i cannot understand why is there only 1 YHA hostel in Brisbane (there are more than 5 in Sydney) and the hostel is usually fully booked. i have talked to other people who stayed here and they are also not satisfied about the hostel. it is not only too crowded but also not very welly arranged, and old and not very clean....for my situation, i booked and paid for 2 nites before i come and i paid again on the second day of my stay. however, the hostel remained only 3 rooms: 1 is 6ppl mixed-room, 2 is double room. if i want to stay in double room, i have to pay for the whole room. that means i can only choose to stay in mixed-room. anyway i stayed there for one nite, nothing happened but i had to move back to 5ppl female room after that nite...so trouble!!!

Queensland Museum

back to city

i m in Queensland la, about half way of the journey...YEAH~~~ Brisbane is my third stop on my way from Sydney to Carins...i think here is quite similar to HK: very city with commercial buildings and many people on the street, although shops are closed at 17.30 here is nightlife...more tourist friendly (i believed) i arrived here yesterday afternoon, went to the CBD (Central Business District where shopping mall, restaurant, cafe and travel information center located) for a walk and also China town...this is my usual practice to familar with the city. then went to the supermarket for buying food... quite surprised that my room (5 ppl-shared room) were fulled last nite Besides, i have tried to figure out some activities for coming days, however, i still have not decided to join which trip or where to go tomorrow...too many choices made me so confuse! this is the difference of city and other place...

about Byron Bay

Just read a paper "BYRON SHIRE NEWS" dated on July 13...

In 1971 Byron Bay was a meatworks town with a close-knit population of around 2500 where just about everyone knew each other, or if they didn't, probabaly knew of them.
There were 2 events to make it so tourism:
1) 1983 FJ Walker meatworks at Belongil Beach, the town's biggest employer closed its doors for the last time throwing 350 people out of work
2) 1991 The Beach Hotel opened. The opening of the hotel got the sort of nationwide publicity money couldn't buy. At about the same time, the infant backpacker industry started maturing and has now reached the stage where backpackers are the most visible and domnant visitor group.

what backpackers do here?
1) watching whales tour
2) surfing
3) hanging in souvenir shops, cafe or restaurant
5) going to the beaches
6) walking to the lighthouse


i think here is really very "tourism", i found there are more cafe, shops, restaurant, hostel and hotel than in New Castle (where is the second large city in New South Wales)...the hostel i m living in are quite full means there is one 1 bed valancy in my room. it is never happen when i was in Melbourne, Sydney & New Castle...

for me, the life here is too simple as i dun want to spend much money on tour and dining outside...i can only do some free activities. I rode brike yesterday which is free providing by hostel, but it is quite dangerous to riding with cars on the road (sometimes). i went to the beaches, took photos (but not much significant scene)...relax!!!!!!!!!!!

sometimes, i want to work and gain $

I m moving tonite

i have stayed in New Castle already a week la, today is my last day to work and i have to leave tonite...by the overnite bus
i think some people are still not very clear about my routine, let me explain here:
New Castle is only 3hr from Sydney...i am going to Byron Bay, which is about 12hr from New Castle. i m moving from south part of Australia to north. i think i will stay in Byron Bay for 2 nites (up to this moment as many people said Byron Bay is nice for tourist), then go to Brisbane (big city, i like it)...

New Castle & Byron Bay are both in New South Wales, but Brisbane is in Queensland. As i moving up(north) the weather will be warmer...and the beaches are beautiful (i hope)

I have not decided the place to go after Brisbane as too many place i want to go...sometimes, someone told me XXX is good, sometimes other people told me XXX is nice. i will decide a little bit later lor

When will i stop?
i will stop in Carins on Aug 2 becos Wong Sir will come here...YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live here

Second last day...

My life in New Castle

Chris Church Cathedral

More about New Castle

After staying for a few days, everything is under control again!!!!!

i met new friends, although some of them are coming to study and lived in the hostel only 1-2 days but they are very nice and the most important thing is: they are asian...
this japanese girl, named Yuki was working with me these few days...she is very very nice, we chatted a lot and we dated out for a coffee before she left today...the most touching thing is, she gave me a gift "little cloth bag" which is made by her grandma......

Friends in New Castle

Lost in New Castle

i think i lost myself for a few days...

becos New Castle is really very QUIET, quiet means there were not more than 10 people on the main street where most shops are located...this is what i found when i arrived here last sun. i was so down on that nite!!! here is too different from Sydney. even on the second day, i went to the city(which is small than Yuen Long), just walking around...there were not many people.

BUT, i cannot leave immediately...becos i got the job here and have to work until sat.
started from mon what i needed to do is vacuum cleaning on the floor, clean the kitchen, bathroom & toilet (@#!#@~$!@#$) actually, it is not so heavy job for working 2hr/day...and i save money for renting the room. so it is not so bad...

New Castle

Aboriginal Interpretations:

The earliest Aboriginal reference to the naming of Newcastle is Muloobinba.
Whibay-gamba ia an Aboriginal naming for Nobbys, the harbour's famous lanmark at the entrance of Newcastle Port.

An Aboriginal reference to Nobbys depicts the significance of Whibay-gamba to local Aboriginal people. The story tells of the presence of a giant Kangaroo hiding on the island. The Kangaroo occasionally shakes his tail making the land tremble causing the dislodgment of large rocks from above. The vibrations caused by the Kangaroo shaking his tail is said to be a specific Aboriginal reference to earthquake activity in the Newcastle area.

New Castle Beach