LOVE ON THE ROAD
This week ZoË and train man
go mountain climbing
THIS WEEK ZOË GOES UPMARKET AND ENJOYS A WIZARD TIME IN OZ
Right, I've had it with backpacking. I flipped in Sydney when I walked into our eight-bunk room to be greeted by a scene from The Young Ones. And we'd paid £31 for the pleasure. I told Train Man that I can't do dorms any more.
I'm a flashpacker and proud. So, bless his heart, Train Man tweaked the itinerary and booked flights up the East Coast so we could spend a week seeing how the other half live.
First stop Noosa, although I'm reluctant to tell anyone because I want to keep it lovely forever. It's a secret salvation of gorgeous eateries, marina-view apartments – and thanksfuly not a mullet in sight. It's classy Australian. At our surf lesson even the kids were wearing designer sunnies (I was great by the way).
Now we're further north on Hamilton Island, just off the Great Barrier Reef, and still enjoying the luxe life (eek, the budget is free-falling!) but it's worth it for the scenery – and sunset cocktails that don't have watered-down booze in them.
Train Man's getting his tan back and is as handsome as ever, while I feel right at home. "Can't we stay here?" I begged. "I can't go back to sharing dorms with people who sniff their pants before putting them back on in front of me."
And just as I expected a rollocking for being a princess, Train Man caught me by surprise. "Well I wasn't going to tell you until tomorrow, but here…" He handed me two tickets for The Ghan, Australia's transcontinental train – in a ‘gold service' cabin. "I never got you a birthday present."
I'm too lucky. And you know how I have a soft spot for the train. Let's hope it's more romantic than Indian Railways...
Miles travelled: 1,016
Terse sentences exchanged: 1
Princess factor: Rising again
Next week: Zoë reaches her dream destination
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