One of the best things about our trip to Australia is the fact that it doesn't just exist in my head as a haze of hangovers and boozy nights. Yes, there were boozy nights (we needed something to encourage us to stalk Karl Kennedy) but most of the time we spent our money on things other than wine; seafood, boat trips, Roxy clothing, Tim Tams, accomodation. In three weeks I saw so much and experienced so many things and now - having been back for less than a week - it already seems so long ago.

In a nutshell, Australia is like England with better weather and friendlier people. Even in the middle of cities like Melbourne and Sydney, there's none of that feeling of rushed loneliness that you often get in London. You ask someone a question at a bus stop and they seem genuinely interested in helping you out, not pissed off that you can't just read the timetable yourself (on that note, Aussie bus timetables - especially those in Brisbane - are crap and don't list routes, just final destinations).

Since I've been back everyone has been asking what my favourite city was, and I honestly can't choose. I loved Melbourne and Sydney equally, and Cairns is still the ultimate Backpackers destination. Brisbane was my least favourite, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact the hostel was a bit out of town (meaning a long walk each day in the sticky, thick heat) and they lost our original reservation (something you'd have thought - considering the sarcastic treatment we got on that first night - was our fault and not theirs) meaning our first night was not spent in the private room we'd booked four months ago, but in a shared mixed dorm with a bloke that snored.

Much of what we loved about our time in Brisbane was actually outside of the city itself. The Lone Pine koala sanctuary where I hugged gorgeous Goblin and fell in love with a baby koala I christened 'bubsy', our day on the Gold Coast (ruined slightly by seeing a poo in the sea at Surfers Paradise) and the boat ride up the river, which was a bit like an hour long episode of 'Cribs', looking at all the amazing houses lining the riverbanks. Your cash really does go further in Oz!

Sydney and Melbourne were both beautiful in different ways. Melbourne seemed more fun and laid-back, while Sydney was a bit more slick and stylish (giving me an excuse to get my dresses out). We were lucky enough to have a Sydney guide in the shape of Helen, while in Melbourne we had a proper Aussie BBQ with some distant family members of mine, which was really lovely. Melbourne obviously had the Neighbours link, which was great for Brit fans like Jojo and I. In Sydney, we spent most of our time on the beaches in Manly, Bondi and Coogee. We did a beach walk one day that - according to the guide book - should have been 5km and taken a couple of hours.

Liars.

Looking back at the photos (which I can't seem to upload to blogger at the moment, but they will eventually make it onto Flickr) I'm glad we did it, but on the day it was hot and clammy and we were finding it difficult to put one foot in front of the other by the end.

I'll tell you about Cairns tomorrow. I think I've rambled too much already...