Round The World With A Fridge

just a quick note to say I managed to get some time to update the site today. enjoy the fridge magnets!

It's been a while since I updated the site. The last few weeks I've been adjusting to life back in the UK, and I've just started working a new contract (ironically enough, at Live Nation again) to pay off the debts I amassed while travelling.

Somewhere between Thailand and Australia my Sony Vaio laptop started playing up, and it's subsequently been returned to Sony to get it fixed. As it has all of my video editing software and video clips on it, I can't do the "Challenge Complete MegaMix Video" I wanted to do. When I get it back, I'll put it together, reorganise the website, and publish some of my stories and notes. And maybe then I'll think about getting the book into shape...

Oh, and I'll add the bits for you to suggest the next challenge. In the meantime you can email ideas to me, I'm all ears!

I've just arrived back in London and the jet lag has caught up with me (the fridge looks ok) so I'm going to get some sleep. Beers postponed until tomorrow night - after work I expect - any takers? :)

It's a slightly odd feeling crossing the date line from New Zealand to Los Angeles and going back in time. It's even odder being sleepy at 7pm and awake again at 3am. The hostel I'm staying at for the night is the Hollywood International Hostel (as hostels go, it's pretty good - clean beds and showers, good amenities - but I wouldn't stay there more than 2 or 3 nights) and it's actually on Hollywood Boulevard (yeah, the road with all the stars in the pavement). First impressions of L.A. and Hollywood? L.A. seems pretty cool - it's massive, but then it is the states. Not that impressed with Hollywood to be honest, but I think having seen all the places I've seen on this trip, it's hard to live up to the movieworld dream.



In a few hours I'll be back on a plane to fly to Heathrow. Hollywood was COLD last night - so cold I could see my breath - god only knows how I'll cope with the UK weather!!

Good news! With financial help from the Louise, Karen, Jez, Meg and Mark who donated cold hard cash, and some help from Matt and Katie, I got the fridge back on Sunday! Yep, it cost $2000 AUD but it was worth it to see my little friesian buddy again. Getting it back was all very stressful, Matt went to pick the fridge up once I'd given some guy the money in a bar. I didn't think I'd see the money or the fridge again, but after all your texts and emails I couldn't just give up. Unfortunately I don't have net access in Melbourne (although I've enjoyed the last 3 weeks hardly using a computer) so I'll do another update in a few days with photos and more news.

On the down-side, most of the $2000 came out of my overdraft (thank you nice woman at HSBC) and has completely crippled me. Without any further donations (yes, you can still donate using the link from the email) I'll be returning home to freezing cold blighty on the 28th Feb - skipping most of the U.S., Canada and Ireland (sob). But at least I have the fridge back :)

Update: the flights are booked (thanks to Laura- the most patient travel agent ever!). I return on Feb 22nd, going via Auckland and L.A. so I'll complete the round the world part of the challenge.

Introduction

Nicola, a friend from the UK, came and did this tour from Sydney to Brisbane in a campervan with me. We had such a good time I thought I'd write a guide for anyone who'd like to try it. (It's written in the singular because it was originally intended to be a guide on a different website...I'm not pretending Nic doesn't exist :) Yep, this is what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks.

Via: Pacific Highway (coastal route)
Distance: ~965km
Non-stop travel time: ~15 hours
Best between: June and December

Preparing for the journey

Firstly, you'll be needing some transport. There's several options open to you - you'll either buy something on the cheap or rent. Buying avoids the fees associated with hire vehicles (return fee, cost per day, add-ons like awning charged daily, LPG refills, insurance, etc) but be aware that different states have different regulations regarding tax, MOT and road worthiness which can result in huge fines.

Choosing between a car, 4x4, van or campervan is an important decision and will influence your level of comfort and the amount of money you can spend on your travels. For example, travelling in a car will probably be the cheapest transport option, but you'll have to pay for B&B's/hostels/hotels ... or sleep in your car - and who wants to sleep in a car?! I hired a campervan (from Britz) which had a double bed, shower, fridge, microwave and gas cooker powered by LPG. While I hardly used the shower and cooker, and really could've managed without them, it did mean that I could park almost anywhere for the night. If I do the trip again, I think I'd plump for a normal van and stay at more resorts - they're pretty cheap but obviously won't be for everyone.

Also, standard campervan insurance doesn't allow you to venture off sealed roads onto dirt tracks. My guide specifically doesn't use dirt tracks for that reason.

Ok, so once you've got your transport, you'll be needing some supplies:

1. Water - lots of it. Maybe a 6 pack of 2 litre bottles. Why so much? If you get a flat tyre, or need to wait for a motorway to open because of a bush fire, you'll be needing water to keep you - and maybe your vehicle - cool.
2. Some food. You shouldn't need too much as there's some nice places on the road to stop, have a break, and get something to munch. Things like oat bars, fruit and nuts keep reasonably well and don't need any preparation.
   
3. A detailed road map. There's plenty of second hand book shops where you can get a good deal, but most of the hire centres have them for sale too. While the roads you'll be driving on hardly change from year to year, occasionally the government puts a toll booth on a road so have some currency in your wallet.
   
4. Music! Australian radio can be quite terrible and has lots of talking and adverts.
5. A mobile phone. Goes without saying really. On the Sydney to Brisbane trip you should get a signal the whole time you're travelling so you won't need to hire an expensive satellite phone.
   

Day 0: Sydney

I stayed in the Vulcan Hotel in downtown Sydney (Ultimo) - it's a clean and modern hotel with friendly staff and good food. If you've got an evening to kill I highly recommend Icebergs at Bondi Beach which isn't particularly cheap but has an awesome dining area and a lush bar. Icebergs is well known for it's good food and it's one of the 20 things Lonely Planet says you must do in Sydney. Booking essential. A taxi from the hotel should be around $20/25.

Day 1: Sydney to Cessnock/Pokolbin (Lower Hunter Valley)

Assuming you've picked up your transport already, leave Sydney over the Harbour Bridge (enjoy the view of Sydney Opera House on your right). Plough through the northern Sydney suburbs and after around half an hour the scenery will change. You'll pass a few beaches so grab a swim if you feel like it - today is an easy drive north. If you're keen to get to the wineries of the Hunter Valley (I was!) skip through Cessnock to Pokolbin where you'll find a multitude of wineries - including Jacobs Creek.

If there's a bush fire in Northern Sydney you have a couple of options. Drive as North as you can, stop where the police tell you too, and wait for updates. On the day I left we had to wait 6 hours for the authorities to get the fire under control, but obviously this depends on lots of factors. If you don't want to wait and hope they reopen the road, go back and West to Windsor and take the ferry over the river there. Be warned though, when Northern Sydney is blocked, lots of people use the ferry. There are a couple of ferries but the most one ferry can take is 20 cars at a time. Choose wisely!

Day 2: Hunter Valley

A day for wine tasting.

I'd recommend the McGuigan Cellars at Pokolbin - whack some golf balls into the pond to win prizes at the driving range, visit the world-class gardens, and of course, sample some of the best wine of the region. There's absolutely no pretentiousness about wine tasting here!

Wines I tried: Tempus Two - Ziggy (blend), Tempus Two - Semillon/Sav. Blank, Tempus Two - Cabernet Merlot, McGuigan Gold - The Red

There's an information centre (with ATM and cafe) at Pokolbin which is the best place to find out what's going on in the region, info about wineries and accommodation, etc. Definitely a useful stop.

Day 3: Hunter Valley to Newcastle

Your head might be a little bit sore this morning from all that wine so today is an easy drive to Newcastle on the coast. Newcastle is a fun little town, and while not much happens here, the beach is a good place for a swim and there's a few beautiful spots around the place. Up on the hill, an Obelisk looks out to sea - marking the first site of water when the first settlers founded Newcastle. Today it's an amazing place to stand at dusk or dawn and watch a whole 360 degree panoramic of the city. I parked nearby on top of the hill, facing the sunrise which was quite special one morning.

By the evening your hangover should've disappeared so walk down the hill to the Crown and Anchor bar/nightclub on Hunter Street. Upstairs is a balcony restaurant come nightclub so depending on the time of day either try the food or sample the frozen cocktails from the "washing machines" on the wall.

If you've got time visit nearby Bogey Hole (I hear it's good for skinny dipping if you're into that) or for a walk along the coast where you can see the different layers of rock, including a layer of coal.

Day 4: Newcastle to Coffs Harbour

Today is a bit of a drive, especially as there's plenty to see along the way. Leave Newcastle early morning and join the Pacific Highway north bound. Take a detour to Elisabeth Bay (turnoff at Bulahdelah) where there are some nice beaches and interesting towns. Port Macquarie is a good place to have lunch if you want to stop somewhere civilised.

I stayed in the Emerald Beach Holiday Park so that I could recharge the battery in our campervan and have a decent shower. It's a wicked little place, and part of the Big 4 network of holiday parks so you'll probably get a discount if you're driving a hire van. Not only does it have the cleanest toilets and showers I've seen in a holiday park, but it has a giant inflatable bouncy "pillow", it's close to the town, is a 5 minute walk to a lovely beach - perfect for your morning swim, and has shops and two excellent restaurants nearby.

Room 101, a romantic little restaurant just around the corner from the Emerald Beach Holiday Park, does the finest steak this side of Australia. Not only did the staff go out of their way to cook a late meal for me (I arrived as they were about to close), they also recommended some excellent wine - better than the ones I tried in the Hunter Valley. I can't say enough nice things about this place.

Before you skip town for the next destination, make sure you visit the Big Banana - one of the many "big things" in Australia. There's also some toboggans and ice skating if big bananas don't float your boat.

There's a regularly updated guide to Coffs Harbour if you need some more information.

Day 5: Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay/Sawtell

Most of the people I spoke to in Sydney said that I must visit Byron Bay because it's so beautiful and after passing through places like Newcastle and Coffs Harbour, it'll seem a bit more "hip". Over the past few days you'll have gone from cityscapes, to rolling vineyards, to rain forests, to hick towns and arriving in Byron Bay will bring you back to a bit of civilisation.

I arrived late in the afternoon just as a storm was rolling in. As I walked along the beach, I contemplated that having seen arguably the best beaches in the world in Thailand, I was now looking at the most romantic. While Byron Bay can be romantic, many Aussies pass it off as pretentious, touristy, or cheap. If you agree, do what the Aussies do, visit Sawtell - checking out the beach and RSL.

Fish Heads right on Byron Bay beach by the car park does great fish and chips and outstanding oyster boxes. Avoid the Great Northern Hotel on the main drag, apart from the pool tables, it's quite like a giant version of a skanky Wetherspoons.

Day 6: Byron Bay to Gold Coast

Today you'll be travelling up the splendiferous Gold Coast, entering from the south via Tweed Heads (look out for the Big Prawn!). Avoid the temptation to stop at the exotically named Palm Beach and Miami and continue on until you reach Surfers Paradise (Main Beach) where you can park up, pull your clothes off, and dive right into the warm blue water. In the excitement, don't forget to stay between the flags where it's safest to swim - away from the danger of being hit by a surf board or swept away by the current.

There are so many places to eat, drink and sleep on the Gold Coast that I wouldn't know where to start. I just picked a Big 4 holiday park to park up in, recharge the batteries again, and fill up with water. It wasn't particularly good, so I won't recommend it.

Day 7: Gold Coast to Lamington National Park

Lamington National Park, west of Springbrook, is a 200sq km hinterland of walks and wildlife. To get there go via route 90 (off M1) towards Canugra and then on to Binna Burra. Binna Burra is a good base for your adventures with its information centre (pick up a free map and some advise on where to walk), restaurant/tea room and Binna Burra Mountain Lodge (advance booking essential) with its rooms, camp site (powered and unpowered sites available). The thought of a national park (bushes, trees, walking) might sound a bit dull to some, but nowhere else will you see so much wildlife roaming around freely. On the day I visited, I saw a kangaroo, a wallaby, several large black lizards, a huge monitor lizard, a blue lobster and a variety of coloured birds. Watch out for bandicoots, flying foxes, koalas and other strange creatures!

You will need: water, study shoes, insect repellent, waterproofs, some food if you plan on eating lunch there, a torch, a first aid kit and a camera.

If you've got some time on your hands, and aren't too keen to get back to the Gold Coast strip, swing by Tamborine Mountain nearby for some amazing scenery and waterfalls. There's an information centre at North Tamborine.

Day 8: Lamington to Brisbane

Just over 2 hours drive away from Lamington is Brisbane, your final destination. Follow the M1 into Brisbane (there's a new toll booth not mentioned on roadmaps or Lonely Planet guide yet) and return your campervan.

I'm assuming that after a week in a campervan you're looking for some TLC so jump into a taxi and head for the Hilton Brisbane, located in the heart of the CBD providing easy access to everything Brisbane has to offer. I personally wouldn't bother with the extortionate prices of the hotel restaurant and bar - you're 5 minutes away from all the best restaurants and bars (Jo Jo's on Queen Street is a modern Pizzeria/Thai/Steak restaurant and bar with a relaxed atmosphere - no booking necessary) so hit the street for a wander (most stuff is on Queen Street, Elizabeth Street, Edward Street or Adelaide Street).

Alternatively, if you're on a budget and fancy something cheaper, try the Brisbane Manor (formerly The Tourist Guesthouse). The 2-bed rooms are a bargain at about £14/night and have a TV with cable, a fridge, and an ensuite bathroom with a nice shower. Downstairs has a kitchen and a laundry room, perfect for washing all your skanky campervan clothes! There's not much atmosphere but it is cheap so you can't complain. Avoid the dorms at your peril.

If you need some Internet access to upload all your photos, ignore the crazy prices in the Hilton ($17/7GBP for 30 minutes!!) and walk up to Global Gossip on Edward Street near Central Station.

After days of anxious email checking, I finally received an email this morning...

"HAVE U ARRIVED IN BRISBANE YET? UR FRIDGE AND SONY HANDCAM ARE SAFE N WELL IN OUR BASEMENT IF U WANT THEM BACK U MUST PAY US 1 MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHAME YOU DONT HAVE THAT. MAKE IT $2000! WE WILL CONTACT YOU AGAIN ON THUR FEB 8TH TO COLLECT. CONFIRM U GOT THIS BY REPLYING TO xx"

(There are other instructions but it says not to publish them online)

I'm going to have breakfast, then a chat with the Newcastle police, and then I'll send an email out to all the superheroes...

Still no news of the fridge yet. Man this is killing me! It goes without saying that the fridge is more than just a fridge to me. Lots of people have asked if I'd auction the fridge off when I'm finished, or if I would ever sell it. My answer is the same every time - the fridge is priceless. So many people have met the fridge, and a great number of them have signed it. :(

Since lots of you asked about the note that was left behind, here it is... (on the back it says, "p.s. see you in Brisbane!")



(no idea what PFOJ stands for...)

I've been travelling in a campervan from Sydney to Brisbane with Nicola, so I've not had proper access to the net for a few days now (hence me not blogging about this drive up the coast). We stayed in a hostel in Newcastle last night, and after a beers with friends, crashed at our hostel. During the night I heard some laughing but just turned over and went back to sleep...as you do in a hostel. Anyway, I woke up this morning to find the fridge gone - despite being handcuffed to my bed (the handcuffs had been picked)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A group of cunting students left a note on my bag to say they're taking it to Brisbane and there will be a ransom emailed to me!!!!!! If you little SHITES are reading this you'd better know that I've reported it stolen to the Newcastle police and my video camera inside has footage I've not got a copy of yet. So if you've got any fucking decency, you'll give the fridge and the camera back in the same condition as when you BROKE THE FUCKING LAW AND STOLE THEM. If you give them back, I'll not press charges.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEEP BREATHS.

It's been a very long day - I'll post some more details tomorrow when I figure out where to go from here.



Update (Friday 25th 7am): Still no email yet...

The last few days have been really tough on me. I've misplaced someone very very special, said goodbye to 2 good friends for god-knows-how-long, and met someone who's taken the fridge travels in more new directions than I know what to do with.

Thankfully I'm back on track and jumping in a bus tomorrow to tour up the coast to meet Wechel and Katie in Brisbane.

Worried that I might never move out of their lovely Bondi pad, Nik and Georgia suggested I travel up to the The Blue Mountains to see the spectacular vistas and blueish tinge produced by the oil from the eucalyptus forests. Katie, who I'd met in Phuket, had joined me on New Years day so with Nik and Georgia, Matt and Lorraine, I booked a cabin for us six. We stayed in a beautifully quaint little place in Katoomba called Arcadia Cottage, ideally suited for visiting Katoomba town, the 3 Sisters (photo below), and the surrounding area.



No challenges, but some nice photos... here

It's an average sort of day. You're sitting on the beach, enjoying the sun and surf, and along comes this guy with a fridge, 40-50kg of ice and some other props and before you know it there's a 300+ strong crowd watching a snowman being built on Bondi beach in 30 degree heat. Patrick from FootPrintsDownUnder covered the event and blogged about it here (with photos).

The latest challenge, posted by Nicola, goes like this... "Build a snowman out of snow on Bondi Beach, Sydney. The snow may be created from ice but it must be snow and not sand. The snowman must be at least 4ft high with coal for eyes and 3 buttons, carrot for a nose and twigs for arms. You must take a picture of you and the snowman enjoying a "stubby" before it melts. If you don't manage to complete this challenge then you must eat a kangaroo testicle! Good Luck :-)"



Challenge complete! The video will be online in the next few days...in the meantime checkout Patricks blog about it.

(A massive "thank you" to Paul, Leila and the crew at the New Zealand Natural Ice Cream shop for the use of their walk-in freezer and for being so damn friendly, and of course to Patrick and Emma for helping with the challenge :)

If you ever need any info about backpacking in Australia (jobs, accomodation, travel journals, local news, etc etc!!), this site is the bomb - www.footprintsdownunder.com. Patrick, the guy who runs the site, kindly supplied some of the Paris Hilton photos so please be good enough to have a look around his site - especially you Aussies who might have some local info that would be useful.

I haven't mentioned the names Daryl or Chris yet. Odd since I've been staying with them for almost a week now. Friends of friends, come to Bondi for a break from Melbourne over the Christmas period. I honestly don't know where to start describing the last few days with them. Random sex noises (not with each other), good noises from the iPod, saving young French girls from drowning, drowning ourselves in the Jungle Juice and honey flavored 42 Below vodka from Bunga Bar, the many drinking rooms of the Beach Road pub/bar/club, the healthy food and the unhealthy farts. Oh, and the sharking on the beach. (Did I miss anything?)

Basement Jaxx were playing on Bondi Beach for NYE but we couldn't get tickets. Instead we went to the Slipp Inn, also known as Chinese Laundry to see Hybrid (download tracks after the jump) who were headlining. Just before midnight we left the club and headed down to Darling Harbour to watch the fireworks on Sydney Harbour Bridge.



So, here we are in 2007. The fridge has well and truly been neglected recently so I've been getting back into the swing of things with it. Some of the confirmed challenges coming up include going Walkabout in the Northern Territory and eating Bulls Penis in New Zealand. Yum yum.

If you haven't noticed already, I've added a "videos" tab to the top of the page - it's a collection of all the videos I've done, including a couple of new ones.

Paris Hilton arrived in Bondi yesterday to judge a bikini content on New Years Day to find the new "face" for a local beer, "Bondi Blonde". Reports claim that she'll be paid a cool $5 million for the privilege. I managed - literally - to bump into her in a shop on Hall Street in Bondi. I snapped a few photos, and a friend - Patrick Lyall - got a few good ones too. The day before she'd been swimming at Bondi and caused quite a comotion when she stripped off down to her bikini and showered in front of the crowd. More photos after the jump...

Ow. Ow ow ow. My head. It hurts. Christmas Day at Gatecrasher down on Bondi Beach. The legendary Norman Jay and John "00" Flemming. Reminded me a lot of the Across The Tracks festival in Leeds, fond memories...



A totally surreal experience. No family around, no Turkey, none of my mums "special" bucks fizz for breakfast, and no presents. So much Smirnoff Ice Black consumed, many people met, much dancing was had, and almost married a wee Scottish (but Aussie) lass for a laugh (ha, if you still want to, I'd quite like an aussie passport - drop me an email). Then, to finish the night off - a mad dash with hundreds of other party people from the pavillion to the beach, strip off and dive into the surf. Wow!

Australia, being the otherside of the world, is my half-way point and I'm so pleased to be here. After almost 2 months in Thailand being back in civilization is great! Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand and I know I'll keep going back, but Australia is home away from home, especially for us pommes. The apartment I'm staying in, a stones-throw away from Bondi Beach, belongs to Georgia (CCE) and Nik (friends from back home) but they're away for Christmas and back in the New Year. When they get back we're going camping and mountain biking in Hunters Valley and the Blue Mountains.



But there's a lot to do before that. Today I'm celebrating my return to good health after about a week of feeling rough from some kind of stomach bug. To kick start things I'm going on a mini-pub crawl with Daryl, another friend of Nik and Georgias who's staying in the apartment. As Angus suggested, we'll start in the Paddington Inn, heading up to Paddington Green and then over to Coogee for some fish and chips before getting amongst the Bondi hotties.



Christmas day is starting to look quite special - a day on Bondi beach with an awesome Fatboy-Slim-At-Brighton-Pier type setup - and of course the typical aussie BBQ. I'll be on Skype and MSN Messenger about 9pm, 10am GMT, for a chat with Ma and Pa and anyone else that's online.

The challenges have been coming thick and fast over the past 2 weeks. Although I'm keeping some a secret (Nicola - genius!!), I'll be wrestling crocs, swimming with sharks, dicing with death when I wind-up a Brown Snake, and poking deadly spiders. Keep the challenges coming - especially the New Zealand ones, not many of those yet...

Have a GRRRRREAT Christmas and a wicked New Year!!

The one thing I did manage to do in Chiang Mai before collapsing on my death bed (you how over-dramatic guys can be when they get sick) was visit a fortune teller. I've never been someone who particarly believes in the occult but I've certainly become a believer of fate and I like the idea that buddhist monks who study hard can see the passage of time like a river flowing from mountains, down the stream into the ocean, then evaporating only to rain again on the mountains.

Basically things look pretty peachy. He also said that the journey I'm on is a massive quest and that it'll bring me fame and fortune. I asked him if he meant the physical journey or spiritual journey and he just smiled and said I would understand by this time next year. He also said that I'd get married in 2 years and that I'd have twins (a boy and a girl). Happy days.

Right, well, I'm sat here in Bangkok airport waiting for my flight to Sydney. Sadly I missed seeing Debs (Donut) and co by a matter of hours, but I did catch up with Josh (thanks so much for the latest episodes of Lost season 3 - very handy for the trip) and Chompu who it was wonderful to see again. And without further ado, here comes the Oz adventure...

Bangkok
This is where my journey in Thailand began, at the huge International Airport which sits on the outskirts of the city. For first time travellers it can be a little intimidating coming out of the airport into a feeding frenzy of taxi drivers. Having booked my accommodation online I'd selected the option to have a car come and pick me up, although normally you'll be looking at around 800 baht for a taxi into town.

I chose to stay in the Asia Hotel (www.asiahotel.co.th) situated in the heart of Bangkok and has it's own entrance to the skytrain. It's a clean, modern setup, if not a little too busy like the rest of Bangkok, but I'd recommend it for a stopover. TVs in the rooms, aircon, Internet cafe (and unofficial free wifi), 3 restaurants, shops and 2 swimming pools. Nearby is a huge mall with everything from camera lenses to flip flops. There's an excellent tour guide in the lobby who managed to arrange some great deals on flights and stays at resorts.

The LP guide does a great job of listing most of the sights, sounds and smells so I don't need to.

Krabi
I flew to Krabi on Thai Airways for around £33 which is pretty good. Krabi airport is just outside Krabi Town and a taxi to either Ao Nang or Krabi Town isn't very expensive - you should book a taxi from inside the airport at the taxi desk to avoid being ripped off.

Krabi Town is a busy little place. It only really has one high street, but there's plenty of activity going on around the place. To eat, I highly recommend Mary and Mark (075612562 - Th Ruen Rudee) - great Thai food but also some Mexican and German influences. For hardcore Thai cuisine you must try the Bangkok Welcome Cafe (corner Th Maharat) - dishes from around 25 baht! There's plenty of places to drink but the tourists all know O'Malleys (7pm - 10pm happy hour) because it's in the Lonely Planet guide and next to a bunch of hotels.

Just outside Krabi Town, on top of a mountain (it's really a hill but Thais call hills mountins) there's a Buddhist temple called Tiger Cave Temple. Tourists are welcome to the climb the 1,237 steps to the top (there's no charge) where you get the best view around for miles and can see the giant Buddha up close. Be warned, those of you who aren't comfortable with heights should probably give this one a miss. A friendly taxi driver will take you from Krabi Town and wait for you while you climb up and down to take you back for a couple of hundred baht.

Krabi Town pier is where you can catch ferries and long tail boats (a taxi boat). Some of the locations on the coast are only accessible by boat, but going from Krabi Town always seemed like a chore to me. There's another pier at Ao Nam Mao which is accessible by car, or tuktuk, and a long tail only takes around 15 minutes to get Railay. Alternatively go to Ao Nang and a long tail will have you at Ton Sai in 10 minutes.

A note on long tail boat taxi drivers. Initially these guys were the single most annoying thing about this part of Thailand. Because you're not Thai, you'll be treated like a second class citizen. Whenever you go near the little huddle of taxi guys you'll hear, "Ao Nang, Ao Nang" or "Krabi, Krabi" - they're usually not trying to hassle you, it's because they've got some passengers waiting to go but they need more people for a boat to bring the price-per-person down. Haggling is a must. The more people in the boat, the cheaper it is. If you're travelling after 4/5pm expect to pay a premium.

Ao Nang
Ao Nang for me was just somewhere to get a long tail boat from. There's all the usual shops, restaurants and bars along the front, but it seemed quite family orientated. I only ate once here, at the Italian Pizzeria - which isn't in the Lonely Planet guide - but I highly recommend it because they did great pizza.

If you're going to do elephant trekking, and you don't have the option of doing it in Chiang Mai, I'd say to do it here. On the tour you can expect to see exotic birds, monkeys and you'll visit Tham Srakaew - the cave that was used in the movie, The Beach.

Ton Sai
Ton Sai is famous in these parts for rock climbing and you can see why when you arrive - it's surrounded by beautiful fauna covered cliffs. Accessible only by long tail boat (15 mins from Ao Nang), it's a lazy beach popular with rock climbers and travellers alike.

It's much less touristy than its neighbour Railay, and has more "authentic" style bamboo huts. Of all the places I stayed in Thailand, Countryside Resort (booked through http://www.yourkrabi.com/booking/) was my favourite - absolutely stunning bamboo huts and probably the best food for miles around. The staple diet here is home made muslie (with fruit, yoghurt and a little bit of honey) for breakfast, green curry with boiled rice (or Tom Yam with boiled rice for the brave) for lunch or dinner. The cook in the resort also does international cuisine if you get bored with Thai food (but who would?).

The bars along Ton Sai beach cater for most. It's not as lively as places like Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan, but it has its own charm. Everyone is very friendly, and bars range from places with hammocks and chairs on the beach to the larger DJ-toting, pool table in the corner type venues. The beach here can be quite rocky when the tide is out, but that doesn't bother most as the stretch of white sand is big enough.

Railay (Rai Leh)
Railay is based around two beaches, Railay East and Railay West, and both have very different personalities. Railay West is a lush beach but as soon as you arrive you'll notice a big difference from Ton Sai - local Thais hawking massages, selling drinks and trinkets, and the beach front is more developed with a handful of resorts right on the beach. Railay East doesn't really have much to offer in terms of beach because it's a rocky mud flat with trees growing right on the beach. However, the better resorts and bars are at Railay East. The walk from Railay East to West takes about 5 minutes. Choosing somewhere to drink largely depends on what's happening that evening as there are too many bars for the relatively small number of people staying here. Among my favourites were Cliff Man (who also do climbing), Fusion (which has unfortunately closed now) and Rock Bar (up the hill).

Eating on Railay can be a hit and miss experience. Most places do some dishes well, whilst others - particularly on Railay West - don't even manage that. Viewpoint Resort, Railay Bay Resort, BoBo's, CoCo and Sand Sea Resort are worthy of a recommendation.

I stayed at the Viewpoint Resort mainly because it has good quality, cheap, rooms with fan, TV, hot shower, swimming pool, internet cafe and minimart. During high season it's still good value, even if you do have to lean over the reception counter to see the list of available rooms to haggle over prices!

Ko Lanta
Ko Lanta was my first experience of a Thai island (read: very laid back). A ferry from Railay (can be booked at any tour operator or internet cafe) gets you there at a leisurely pace of 3 hours. The ferry takes you straight to Ban Sala Dan where there's plenty of shops, tour companies, taxis, restaurants and everything else you might need. There was a tour guide on the ferry who arranged our accommodation - a resort called The Last Resort at the very southern tip of Ko Lanta.

The Last Resort is perfect in many ways (the friendly people, best bar, amazing deserted beach, great food) but it fails the most important test for me - the bedroom test. Ok, so I might be a bit of hotel snob, but these huts are super basic with only a cold shower and manual flushing toilet for company. Oh, and did I mention the uncomfortable mattress on the floor and mosquito net with holes in? Having said all that, we rarely left the resort because it had everything else. When we did leave, I tried the Same Same But Different Restaurant which I suspect does the best food and drink on the island. It's a very romantic little place and listed in the Lonely Planet.

Ko Pha-Ngan
Having decided that we'd have enough of the quiet life on Lanta, we decided to head to the home of the full moon party - Ko Pha-Ngan. The easiest option was by bus which takes you up through Krabi and then over to the port at Surat Thani where we caught a sleeper boat (a long ferry with a giant open room and beds on either side) to Thong Sala on Ko Pha-Ngan. All that sounds fairly simple, and in reality it is, but there are a number of stops where you're dropped off at a restaurant for 1 hour and then picked up by another bus only to travel 5 minutes down to the port. But, if you take buses, you'll learn pretty quickly not to question how it works - just respect that it does.

We headed straight for the party town on Hat Rin Nok at the south end of the island. While it was nice to be in the thick of things again, it does have a slightly sleazy '18-30s destination' feel to it. There are plenty of movie bars, fast food joints, clubs and beach bars. The only bar I'd go out of my way to recommend is Outback Bar (listed in the Lonely Planet guide), purely because it's a laid back, spacious venue with good food, drink and entertainment.

Worthy of special mention is the Chakra Massage (listed in the Lonely Planet guide) where I did my past life regression and Charlotte did a Thai Massage course. The proprietor trained as a monk and is highly regarded by locals.

Ko Lao Liang
Lots of people have asked me about Lao Liang after seeing my photos. Lao Liang is on the tip of a nature reserve and until recently hasn't been accessible to tourists (there's no tours or info in the LP guide). The result is a small beautifully unspoilt island with basic facilities. However, the facilities are to a very high standard - showers, spacious tents with fans, bar and dining area. Although it's possible to arrange a trip with a tour agency (you'll be very lucky to find one that does this trip), you won't get the extra benefit of booking with the XSite operators (Vinnie or Michael) who provide snorkelling gear, climbing gear and kayaks free of charge.

A day trip off Lao Liang to go snorkelling or diving is an absolute must - I've never seen water so clear and such a huge range of sea life. You can fish straight off the side of a kayak and pull out 10lb Giant Travellys and stand a good chance of seeing a Monitor Lizard or two. Oh, and the red ants are edible.

I don't climb, but the climbers that came on the trip loved the climbs and the XSite guys have just finished putting up a whole bunch of new, challenging routes.

Phuket
Probably the most visited part of Thailand after Bangkok, Phuket is a favourite tourist destination with all its lady bars, nightclubs and buzzing shopping areas. It's a different a crowd to those in Ton Sai and Railay (keep your fishermen pants in your backpack) but not as sleazy as Ko Pha-Ngan. Well, unless you stray into the neon-lit road of Th Bangla which is full of bars, lady bars, ping pong joints and everything else you've probably heard about. Hot Thai girls dancing in bars will queue up to be your best friend in the hope that you'll take them home for a night. It's not seen as prostitution, more a sort of arranged date where the guy pays for the privilege. To put the record straight, no, I didn't try it! A local Thai explained to me that these girls often come from farming communities up north and can earn a whole months pay in a single night. Their parents usually don't know what they do preferring to believe that they have several jobs.

Tuk Tuks here are quite impressive - all blinged up with neon lights, spoiler, alloys. Drivers are a bit hit and miss and I'm not sure I feel any safer in a tuk tuk than on the back of a taxi bike.

I stayed at the Patong Green Mountain Hotel (not listed in the LP guide) which is just on the edge of Patong - a good distance away from the hubbub, but still accessible, and a great view of the beach (if you're on the 4th floor). The bar staff were exceptionally kind, often going out of their way to find out things for us and there's a free taxi service to drop you off in town - handy when you've had a few beers. Aircon, TV, hot water, breakfast, large pool, internet cafe, tour guide. 2 min walk from three 7-11's, and the Esso garage.

There's plenty to see and do on Phuket, not just the beaches. I rented a motorbike for a week (rent over 3 days and haggle for a discount) and I'd say it's the best way to get around. You can easily explore - either via the beautiful coastal roads, or hit the motorway and explore the northern end. A word of warning though - the police and tuk tuk drivers have a pretty good racket going. This only really applies to Patong village at the time of writing. If the police see a non-Thai riding a bike, they'll blow their whistle and tell you to stop. The first time this happened, it was because my friend wasn't wearing his helmet - it's against the law for a driver not to be wearing their helmet. The second time, I was stopped, and thinking I was ok with my helmet on asked what the problem was. The policeman asked for my international license, and of course I only had my UK license. NO ONE has an international license, and the police know it, so it's off to the police station to pay the fine - and there will be a queue of tuk tuks nearby waiting for you. How to avoid it? Three ways; 1) get an international license (yeah right), 2) when you hear a policeman whistling - look the other way and keep driving. If you see a police stop ahead (lots of police and tuk tuks), turn around. 3) stop, get the paper work - make up any old name and age (they can't read your license), but hold on to your bike key. Go and have a couple of beers, come back an hour or two later, drive away.

If you get tired of the tourist beaches, try driving up to Hat Nai Thon in the North West corner near the airport. It's yet to be bastardised by tourism and it's where the local Thais go for a day out. I camped in a tent here (bought from a local supermarket) and there's a great little bar just set back from the beach behind the trees where you can purchase boozage. Swimming at night is quite magical as there's a great deal of phosphoresce in the water.

Chiang Mai
I can't really say anything about Chiang Mai because I spent most of my 2 days in bed with a stomach bug! I stayed at the Novotel Hotel (in the LP guide) and booked with Ping Pong (an unfortunate name for a girl) of Universal Travel (booking with a tour guide is essential if you want the best prices for accommodation and free transfers) who was the most wonderful travel guide. I thought the Novotel was quite sucky (and I'm convinced their breakfast gave me food poisoning) so Ping Pong moved me to the Vila Villa Hotel - a brand new hotel, not fully opened at the time of writing. On arriving my jaw dropped - brand-new traditional style Lanna villas, surrounded by lush greenery, water wheels, fountains, koi karp filled ponds. Definitely very romantic. The hotel staff were exceptional - they took me to the train station and helped me book my ticket and let me stay in my room for an extra 3 hours because my train wasn't until the afternoon.

For reasons I don't quite know, I chose to take the train back to Bangkok - I think I needed to try trains in Thailand to complete my travelling experience here. The sleeper express takes 11 hours from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and compared to the Russian sleeper I took from Moscow to Murmansk, it's very well equipped. The best beds are the bottom ones which cost a little extra, but are bigger. You get some privacy with a curtain that can be drawn across and generally everyone is quiet. The only thing that irked me was it was such a good setup but the actual train ride was bumpy as hell and at times almost threw me out of my bed! But still, you have to laugh about it.

Oh, one final note - I booked all of my Chiang Mai travel and accommodation last minute and it wasn't as easy as everywhere else. I'm not sure if that was because it's high season now, or just because Chiang Mai is quite small and there's a lot of tourists. Either way, booking in advance is recommended.

The sun was setting as the fridge and I pulled into the port at Phuket Town, and even though it had been a relaxing trip up from Railay, there was that definite spark when you know it's all going to get very messy. I met up with Matt at the Patong Green Mountain Hotel, and it was only a matter of minutes before I had the first beer in my hand.

The days after that adhered to the simple formula; explore Phuket by motorbike in the day, drink as much as possible at night - interspersed with ladyboy tussles, ping pong shows, Hottie McFitties, getting "dude" and "sweet" tattoos, tactical Jenga, and lots of random kung-fu moves. Matt was definitely setting the bar for future fridge sessions.




The day when Matt had to leave for Koh Samui came around way too quickly. My liver needed some down-time to recover so I kept our room on for an extra day just so I could sleep and pretend to do some work.

If all that seems a little vague for the events of two weeks, well, I'd agree. Some really great things happened, but I can't write about them publicly. In the next couple of weeks, some of you will be receiving an email telling you that your superhero account has a new superpower - x-ray vision - you'll be able to read the private blog.

Just about to jump on a plane to Chiang Mai via Bangkok to meet Beth. Back to Bangkok on Saturday and I fly to Sydney on Monday 18th!

After the trip to Koh Lao Liang I needed to take things easy and give my foot a chance to heal. Noah and Donna, who I'd met on the trip, were heading back to Railay too so we decided to get a nice hotel room for the night with hot water and a TV - a luxury since the price of a room the next day would double as we enter peak season here. Everything is so relaxed and unhurried, days just cruise by - muslie for breakfast, some rock climbing (obviously not for me with my bad foot), a late lunch, lazing around the pool or beach, then a James Bond movie (there's three or four Bond movies on daily), a hot shower (followed by a few other friends using our hot shower), some dinner, some beers, some more beers, then back to the hotel room to wake up Donna and watch another James Bond movie while munching peanut M&M's. Man, life here is sweet.

   

But while I was enjoying Railay so much, Matt - another guy from the Lao Liang trip, was waiting to go see ping pong, ladyboys and generally wreak havoc in Patong not far from Phuket town. So, looking forward to another new adventure with the fridge, I said goodbye to the folks in Railay and left for Phuket...

After a night with the fridge in Rock Bar, I had one hours sleep before Vinnie picked me up to go to Ko Lao Liang - a deserted island south not too far from Ko Lanta and Trang where I'd be staying for the next 5 days.

On arriving, I realised all the hype and speil Vinnie had come out with over the past few days wasn't bullshit - this was the real McCoy. Thailand, untouched by tourism, not full of backpackers or drunken tourists. Walk into any tourist information in Thailand and you'll see hundred of pamphlets full of photos of amazing beaches and resorts, but they're rarely as good as the photos. Ko Lao Liang was everything promised and more - the tents were great (they had power, fans, lights), the toilets and showers were really decent and all the climbing, kayacking and snorkelling gear was top notch.



The 19 strong crew consisted of Matt (the lone Aussie traveller), Sandra (the attorney) and Lou (the blind elephant balloonist), the Spanish couple, Tom and Amy ("the hairdressers"), Nikki ("the ant eater") and Nadia, Billy and Zak (the best Aussie guys), Noah ("the bullrider") and Donna ("the fearless"), Michael (and Zach - his son), Vinnie (say no more), Doug (our barkeep), Pawn (the funky Thai) and of course myself.



On the first day we went snorkelling and although I've been snorkelling and diving quite a bit before, this was the best snorkelling I've ever done. Not only was the water crystal clear so you could see for about 25 meters, but the coral was untouched and full of huge fish, urchins, star fish, lobsters, crabs and a whole lot more. Unfortutely I couldn't film any of it because unlike Helen, I didn't have a waterproof case for my camera - but the guys who run the trip have a few photos here.

I started a few challenges - like building my shelter - and did some new ones like eating ants, having my head shaved (a number 2 - a lucky escape from Tom, who was hell-bent on using his Mach 3 razor on my head!) to start my cult (I did get 2 members - Matt and little Zach), raid a nearby island for booze in our Kayacks dressed as ninjas. All coming up in the next video. Unfortunately though, I had a little accident...

I saved the last day entirely for filming. Waking up early, I go for a kayack around the island with Matt (in my kayack) and Noah and Donna in the other kayack. It wasn't long before me and Matt are showing off going through caves and getting ourselves through really tight squeezes. Arriving at the last cave before heading back, it's blowing water out like a whale blow hole - of course we had to rush in to get soaked before paddling back... only we get in there and a huge wave crashes into us from behind and tips us over! As the boat tips over, me and Matt are laughing and we're still laughing when we come up from air - only to be hit again by another huge wave and pulled about 5 meters into the cave by the undercurrent. Then I feel this sharp stabbing in my foot - I look at Matt and he's looking worried, the current is too strong pulling us away from the enterance - we're stuck in this fucking cave!!

I yell at the other kayack, "what the fuck are you waiting for?! Get us out!!!!", and Donna, who's in front and seen everything unfold, doesn't want to venture in. Noah on the other hand starts paddling, thank God, and before I know it he's right next to us. Donna and Noah offer us their paddles to grab on to so we can turn our kayack the right way up and eventually we get back in the kayack. Donna is the first to see my foot and starts screaming - I look down and see blood everywhere. When the current was pulling us back and forward, it was dragging me against a rock covered in barnacles and it took a chunk of the top/side of my foot out. So, we get back to the tents as quick as possible and Noah and Matt syringe it (despite the rumours, I didn't scream - lol), get it covered in Betadine, and bandaged up.



Guess I'll have a gnarly scar :) And the worst thing, the camera was in my dry bag the whole time! DAMN.

(more photos in my flickr account)

As you might have noticed, I've made a few changes around here. The two most important additions are the ability to post a challenge (when you're logged in) and the future destinations panel on the front page.

Let me know what you think.

update: yeah, it's all broken in Internet Explorer v6 - I've no intention of making it work for IE6, and I'll make no apologies for it. Either upgrade to Internet Explorer v7 or use Firefox! meh. according to my web stats most of you are still using IE6 (damn you) so I've fixed the compatibility issues.

Because I've been totally rubbish and have been sat on a beach every day, sipping Chang beer, and not doing any work on my YouDecide website, a whole bunch of us had a voting session on Messenger yesterday. I'm staying on a deserted island for 5 days shortly so everyone voted on what I should do there. The results are (votes in descending order)...

helen - build a shelter out of natural materials and stay in that instead of a tent (5 votes)
angus - don't use the fridge as a pulling tool (4 votes)
fee - you're only allowed to have sex with animals (4 votes)
angus - shave your head and get a buddhist gown - see if I can get away with it for a day and/or start a cult (3 votes)
shane - find wilson (2 votes)
angus - blow up the bridge over the river kwai (1 vote)
steve - lord of the flies (1 vote)
shane - limbo content on beach with the fridge (1 vote)
fee - don't tell a like the while time I'm on the island (1 vote)
steve - eat yellow snow (1 vote)
leo - eat brown sand (1 vote)
angus - wrestle a komodo dragon (1 vote)
angus - blow up a cow with a bazooka (1 vote), and fill fridge with dead cow
caleb - snorkel with the fridge (1 vote)
leo - grow breasts (1 vote)
fee - milk anything I can get my hands on (1 vote)
magnus - start a band, using instruments made from found objects (1 vote)

...challenges with zero votes...

steve - swim naked with sharks covered in chump
steve - blow up a cow with a coconut
wechel - only food I can eat is what I catch
shane - plate spinning with the fridge on my head
leo - bury myself in the sand standing up
shane - base jumping with the fridge
helen - don't sleep with anyone while you're on the island
steve - shrink some islanders heads
shane - find a polar bear
leo - I can only eat or drink what I take in the fridge
leo - kill a chicken
steve - go down the hatch and press the button
steve - locate X on the map
shane - milk a cat
caleb - fill the fridge with bikini tops, but they have to come off the wearer and they need to be female

On a totally different note - this fell on me last night...

I've just registered roundtheworldwithafridge.com and aroundtheworldwithafridge.com for those of you who can't spell my surname :P