Newcastle: It's a nice enough place but there isn't much of a reason to stop there. Although it's a separate entity and quite a distance from Sydney... it still feels suburban... and lacks a distinct character. Still, while we were there there was an aboriginals surf competition going on and the hostel gave us 2 free dinners at a local Irish pub! (No strings attached!!) So, no complaints!

Port Macquarie: "Port" as it's referred to by the locals is a nice little resort town. The beaches are wonderful and we stayed at a very nice hostel - Ozzie Pozzie - that we'd highly recommend. Our big outing while we were there was to visit the Koala Hospital -- an entertaining experience, to say the least. (Try to remember to ask Mark about his "friends" the mosquitoes!!)

Byron Bay: While the town is small and feels a bit overrun with the "backpacker scene" the beaches were amazing! The water was crystal clear and you could see loads of beautiful little fish swimming near the beach! It was a perfect place to spend a few days relaxing and sitting in the sun!

The other perk of traveling by bus is being able to see the "Big" things. Yes, Aussie has this fascination with "Big" animals, plants.... or pretty much anything placed outside gas stations, etc. We were fortunate enough to get up close and personal with the "Big Prawn" on a recent bus stop and look forward to the "Big Crab" a bit further up the road....