Have Tickets Will Travel; Ready or Not

Finally, we have the tickets; paid for; its going to happen. We leave for Honolulu on 9 April. Were spending 7 fun filled holi-days there and then we are off to Los Angeles on the 16th. After having a severe look at the budget we will definitely be frugalling. I have been surfing the web for el-cheapo places to stay and we have booked in to the exotically named Polynesian Hostel Beach Club in Honolulu and a good old Youth (ha!!) Hostel in Los Angeles. Isn't it exciting!!!!!! and TERRIFYING. I don't ever remember it being so scary when I was 23. In the meantime we are off to Strawbella to pick up sticks and slash the grass which must be up to my armpits by now as it hasnt been done since December.

Fairly bounding through the hoops

Believe it or not we have successfully leaped through the American hoops and are now the proud owners of 5 year American Visas. This is great because we don't have to do this again for another 5 years YAY!!!! and while the money hangs in we can stay longer than our initial plan of 3 months in the good ol' USA.

Of course, we did have to wait about four hours at the consulate and Al was sent to a conveniently located Doctor in Maquarie Street to piddle in a bottle to confirm that he hadn't consumed alcohol since 1985 ($176 later). We had a lovely trip planned to see the Queen Mary in Sydney Harbour but after stuffing about for hours we were buggered and decided to head home.