h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So BZ thou art Australian, good on yer bloke, I have visited many times (lived in Manly, Sydney for 6 months in 1990-91)
and toured the east coast up to GBF/Cairns for the other 6 months.
I was recently in the Gold coast Surfers paradise helping my Wife on a Prizewinners competition called Fostralia 2000, (she works for Austravel as an agency sales manager and promotion organizer) I had 2 weeks all expenses paid including Sydney harbour New years eve at the restaurant on the rocks, it was a bit lame, i'd rather have been on Frazer island with a a mad supply of beer and some Honeyz to drink it with around a badass fire.
But can't argue, it was free.
I am in UK in Bournemouth, the Surfers Paradise of England, (possibly)................
Gotta go.
Nemesis.

Bournemouth, hey? It's hard to imagine the UK having a Surfer's Paradise, let alone anywhere warm enough to even get in the water! I'll have to get over to there one day.

Sounds like you've got the right idea about Sydney. Not a bad place to visit (especially if it's for free, ya lucky bugger) but I'd hate to live there - I made the mistake of riding around Sydney with my visor up one day and ended up looking like a WWII fighter pilot - you know how they get all that black crap on their face around their goggles? That was me. Fairly disturbing, I like my air a bit cleaner....still, New Years Eve there would have been more interesting than Brisbane. We stayed out here in the country and had a fireworks display put on by our various neighbours - more illegal fireworks out here than I would have thought possible, so that was pretty entertaining.

Were you riding a bike around Cairns? There are some great riding roads up there, so if you get the chance you should do it. You can ride dirt-bikes up to the cape or road-bikes on some beautiful day rides. Mind you, be better to do it in winter, when the weather is sweet. Summer bike riding in Cairns involves a lot of moisture (I guess you'd be used to that in the UK =) and because it's fairly tropical plastic rain gear is a horrible thing to wear - you sweat so damn much you might as well just get rained on.

Ah well, that's enough avoidance behaviour - I've gotta go study. Cheerio.