To the Fiji

Friday 26th February 2010:

Destination: Fiji. So we got on our Air Pacific flight to the Fiji. And might I just add: great service, friendly staff and far better than the Australian airlines we flew. Oh the controversy. Only a three-hour flight to Nadi, Fiji, which I later realised was pronounced 'Nandi' rather than Nadi. Just in case you find yourself in Fiji one day and wish to perfect the pronunciation.

The following day our island-hopping tour began. Early start, got to the port and signed up to our 'Ultimate Lei' package; yes all the tours have sexual connotations, which is somewhat awkward when thrown into conversation. Hmm. Those cheeky Fijians. Onto the ferry and to the islands we went! It took about five hours to get to our island, making stops at numerous islands along the way, like a little bus service, but far more exciting and a bit more rocky. We arrived at Coral View Island and were transferred along with our backpacks onto a small boat to get us across the waters, as the ferry stops a little further out. What a lovely way of life! I heard my name being called from one of the neighbouring boats which was coming off the island, and it turned out to be a friend of ours from New Zealand! Small small world. No tiny in fact. I mean, what are the odds that you come across someone you know, when drifting in a small boat just off the island of Coral View in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Madness. We were then greeted by our Fijian hosts: "BULA!" is the greeting here and the people are incredibly warm and welcoming; what a fantastic reception. And we are on an island in the middle of the Pacific- yeah not too bad is it. It is literally a postcard picture; azul seas, white sands, hammocks draped lazily amongst the palms. Yep cliched and i love it. So let's work on that tan please.

Sunday 28th February 2010:

Woke up this morning to a text from my mum, telling me that there was a tsunami warning acorss the Pacific, following a massive earthquake in Chile. Mothers being as they are, I decided that this may be slightly hyperbolic, so I chose not to panic. Went outside and the first thing we were greeted with was: "Have you heard about the tsunami. It's going to hit the island at about 9am." Oh goody mother was right. So a little more worried by this point; turns out the people in the dorm next door to us had heard the news earlier and had already climbed up the hill to safety, leaving the rest of us to perish on the island. Charming. The locals were more concerned about serving breakfast on time, so that was reassuring? Not so sure that it was. People were getting texts from home about the size and magnitude of the wave, what time to expect it, etc etc. It made it worse that we were receiving all this information, but we could do nothing about it. Well, except to climb the hill.

Anyway, a few uncomfortable hours later, the warning was called off, not that I believed the man, as I now had it in my head that we were to expect a rather large wave today. Not too happy about this one.

PM: A massive rainstorm pelted down that night; I continued to be terrified as I expected this to spark the tsunami that had not occured earlier in the day. I was proved wrong: it did not hit. Yay!

Monday 1st March 2010:

Next stop: Korovou Island. Back on the ferry to a new island. We bumped into our German journalist friend, whom we met on the previous island. Dream job: getting paid to travel the world and write about it. Fancy swapping lives? The island was yet again beautiful, good food, nice people. Amazing sunset.

Tuesday 2nd March 2010:

Isobel and I arrived at Kuata Island this afternoon. This was the only island we had heard bad things about, strange stories actually. Anyway, it turned out to be the most beautiful of the lot and my favourite island of the bunch! That evening we had a traditional Cava ceremony. Cava is the local drink; they make it out of a particular tree root and mix it with water. It is their 'alcohol' if you like; it has a sort of analgesic effect, making the drinker a bit woozy after a few. It tasted like muddy water if I am honest, (no disrespect) so I would not be getting 'woozy' on that by any means. This ceremony was followed by the Bula boys doing the Bula dance. Wow. Absolutely fantastic. These Fijian guys came out in their sarongs, tops off, all oiled up and performed the best dance I think I have ever seen! Ha ha, more for the attention of the ladies I expect. Then we all learned the Bula dance and had a great laugh in the process! We spent the rest of the evening chatting to the locals, just enjoying the atmosphere on Kuata.

Thursday 4th March 2010:

Back on the Yasawa Flyer ferry today. Last stop: South Sea Island. This is the tiniest island I have ever seen; it is half the size of a football pitch, and it is beautiful! We stayed here for a night and that rounded up our Fijian experience! Time to head home..

Saturday 6th March 2010:

And here we are. Nadi airport. The travels are over. I can't believe this is it!

Our flight to LA took ten hours, then we pottered around there for about six hours. And by pottered I mean, conked out on the chairs in the departure lounge. Then from LA to Heathrow took another ten hours. And I can't sleep on planes! So I was extremely tired, but very impressed with British Airways. And pleased that our flight was not a week later as they are going on strike once again. Oooh but then we would have been conveniently stuck in LA. Hmm..not so bad. Ha ha.

So I am home and just about over my jet-lag. Has been fantastic to catch up with people, not so great feeling cold, but at least I missed that winter from hell and had the experience of a lifetime over the past four months. Thank you to Isobel for being the most fantastic travel buddy in the world! A friend for life indeed.
I may be glad to take the weight of the backpack off my shoulders, but I can't wait for the next opportunity to get back out there and see more of the world! The travel bug is highly contagious, don't be afraid to catch it. It's a fantastic bug to have! (And it doesn't bring you out in a rash which is a plus).

Rotorua and the rest...

Sunday 21st February 2010:

Having woken up to Abba, I was keen to leave and onto the bus we went! Next stop Rotorua for our white water rafting adventure. We got ourselves kitted up- loved the water booties. And we were soon off into the rapids. It was slightly disconcerting when the guides constantly prayed to the gods to keep us safe in the water; don't get me wrong, I'm glad they did, but it is slightly daunting! Anyway, very interesting to hear their Maori prayers, and great to see how much they all respect mother nature and their beautiful surroundings, instead of taking everything for granted, as people often do. We had a fantastic time in our teams, flew down a seven metre waterfall which was exciting! Again, lots of prayers to precede that, hmm. Are we safe? They probably want to instil as much fear in us as possible to make it all the more thrilling. Woop. was great fun anyway!

Busy day out on the water, and on to Taupo. Beautiful Lake Taupo. There is a long-winded story behind it's existence but 1. It is too long and 2. I can't actually remember it. But yeah, pretty. And we were knackered and happy to have a comfortable bed for the night.

Tuesday 23rd February 2010:

We have by this time made our way back up to Auckland, and continued further up the road to Paihia and the beautiful Bay of Islands. Wow what a place. I also decided at this point that I wanted to do a sky dive before leaving New Zealand, so this would be the place to do it! I booked myself in and got up early the next morning to jump out of a plane! Got all psyched up and nervous in the waiting room and then after all that anticipation, it was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Bummer. When you're rearing to go and then they turn around and say you can't jump, well it sucks. So that was a disappointing day. Maybe tomorrow?

Got up early again the following morning, looking pretty glum outside, do I bother going to the sky dive centre again? Hmm. Anyway off I went in the little silver bus. Nerves had dissipated by this point, probably best. And despite the clouds, there were a few patches of blue sky that apparantly we were about to go and jump through! Ha ha sounds crazy. Got into our highly unflattering and uncomfortable outfits. Probably the largest wedgie I have ever encountered. Lovely. Anyway we got into the world's smallest plane and up we went, into those clouds. Beautiful views from up there; I didn't even think about my fear of flying. I think the fear of jumping out had taken over. But I was strangely calm, which was nice. So I got strapped to my instructor- Carl. And we hit 12,000 feet, door opened and there I was dangling my feet out of a plane, looking out over the clouds. Took us a bit longer than usual to find our spot to jump and then we were gone. Weirdest feeling in the world. You fall, but it doesn't feel like falling; it really does feel like flying. Freefall was the best part, 45 seconds at this height. And then the chute opened (thank god) and we were gliding down to the ground. We brushed through the edge of a cloud which felt so strange, very fluffy! And then for the landing, got our legs up high and down we were, feet on the ground again! Nice feeling. And that was the day I did a sky dive over the Bay of Islands! fantastic. Would recommend it to anyone.

Back in Auckland that afternoon. Flight to Fiji tomorrow!

Franz Josef to.. Makhetu

Saturday 30th January 2010:

We arrived in Franz Josef this afternoon and booked ourselves onto the hike for the following morning. We woke up the next day ready for our eight-hour glacier hike. Got all suited and booted and were on our way to the glacier. Matheus (our guide) led the way, and what a pretty thing he was to look at for eight hours. We got our crampons on and climbed on up. Despite being on a glacier it was surprisingly warm up there! And the most spectacular views: New Zealand has got to be one of the places with the most diverse weather conditions in the world; you move from beaches, to glaciers, to volcanoes. And the place isn't that big! Incredible. The walk was great, climbing up the glacier, manouvering round crevasses- it was fantastic! We stopped for a spot of lunch and set ourselves on the ice. A word of warning: sit on your bag otherwise it can get a bit too chilly! Was an amazing day and I would love to do it all over again!

Tuesday 2nd February 2010:

Stray bus to Wanaka. Beautiful Lake Wanaka, this place just gets prettier and prettier! Very relaxed part of New Zealand; we went on a walk to the Rippon vineyard and took in the most stunning views. It's a really popular place for weddings which is pretty handy! A couple of days relaxing in Wanaka, nice to be off the bus for a day or so- gets pretty tedious moving around so much! And then on to Queenstown! Notorious for being a party town, Queenstown certainly lives up to its expectations. It is also a stunning place with a great bustling vibe and lots to do! We stayed a good few days here, met a great group of people off the bus and enjoyed their company for a few days! We all chilled out by the riverside in the evenings and then headed out into town! What a brilliant routine. Oh and don't forget, enjoying the sunshine in the daytime! We were very lucky to get such good weather, as the people on the previous buses had nothing but rain when they were there! Really enjoyed Queenstown.

Tuesday 9th February 2010:

Making our way up to Wellington. Not a fan of all these bus journeys, but has to be done. A rather pleasant three hour ferry ride over to the north island; Isobel and I fell alseep on the deck. Not too bad at all! We spent the next day having a look round Wellington. Nice city. We visited the Te Papa museum, was great to see all the Maori history which has a bigger influence on the North Island than on the South. Will be nice to see more of the Maori culture when we go to the cutural show at Makhetu.

The next journey was a twelve-hour bus ride up to Auckland. Oh what a day. And to make things just a bit worse, Auckland was such a let-down, no atmosphere at all. Our dorm room was also situated above the hostel bar which played music until about 7am when we had to get up! So not a great deal of sleep and so we were a couple of grumpy ladies on the next bus. Do not stay at Nomads Fat Camel in Auckland.

Saturday 13th February:

We hopped back onto the Stray bus this morning and found ourselves back on Metro's bus! (Metro is our favourite Stray driver) So that was a great surprise! Next stop: Hahei. We spent the afternoon kayaking to Cathedral Cove: beautiful. And great fun! Good work-out for the old biceps too! Haha was a really good way to spend the afternoon, perfect weather for it. We made our way back to camp and had a big BBQ with the group on the bus. Great turnover rate on these buses, constantly meeting a new group of people- it's great! And the food was yummy.

Monday 15th February 2010:

Raglan Backpackers. Raglan is the surf place in New Zealand, well one of them. So Isobel and I were excited to get back into the surfing! We moved to Raglan Backpackers, the most laid-back hostel you will ever come across. I even asked if I could work there, but they had no more vacancies for the summer season. Gutted, would have been amazing working there a few hours a day and surfing for the rest of the afternoon! Oh well, you can't have it all. Isobel and I managed to bag ourselves a double bed each, no idea how. This is not the sort of thing one expects when travelling, so when it happens, it is amazing! We ended up extending our stay in Raglan, making the most of the surfing every day! And I am beginning to see a slight improvement in my 'technique.' Ha ha well it is bloody good fun anyway! I did spend a good portion of my time getting pounded by waves though! The people we met at the Backpackers were great, really friendly bunch. All far too laid-back for their own good, but a good laugh! We felt so at home in this place, can't believe I can't stay!

Saturday 20th February 2010:

Goodbye Raglan :(

And so the next stop is Waitomo. The place with all the caves. We did a caving trip called 'Tumu Tumu Toobing' which was a little caving adventure and black water rafting. I was expecting it to be really claustrophobic down in the caves, but only the intial climb down was a bit tight! The water down in the caves was absolutely freezing- very thankful for the thick wetsuits at this point. It was really good fun though. We turned our lights off and looked up to see glow worms covering the roof of the cave- beautiful! Absolutely love the glow worms.

That evening we landed in Makhetu for our cultural stop. The cultural show was a family-run performance and we all got involved in the dances and songs. I was really impressed. The lads in the group learned the Hakka and the ladies were taught the Poi. We had a good laugh learning the dances, nice to get everyone involved! An interesting sleeping arrangement that evening, with all thirty of us sleeping in a big hall on mattresses. Hmm. Was actually not too bad really. Won't be doing it every night though!

We were woken up at 7am the next morning to the sound of ABBA. That's right, I will not be staying here much longer. Ha.

Destination New Zealand

Saturday 23rd January 2010:

Isobel and I arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand. Checked into our hostel. I was surprised by the sheer number of Harley Davidson biker men that seem to reside here: a little unsettling. Looks like the hostels do it a bit differently here! Anyway, not a great deal to see in Christchurch, so we were glad to start our journey on the 'Stray' bus that would be taking us round New Zealand for the next five weeks!

Stop number one: Kaikoura. A quaint little place, cute little pebble beach, gorgeous scenery. We ended up falling asleep on the beach; oh dear Izzy, a little bit burnt are we? Hmm. Ooops.

Wednesday 27th January 2010:

We moved on to Abel Tasman National Park. The bus takes a lot of stops along the way, both to break up the journeys, but also because there is so much to see! Stunning mountain views, clear waters everywhere. Amazing. We made our way through the Marlborough region, many a vineyard in sight as this is New Zealand's wine capital. We arrived in Abel Tasman that afternoon, staying at Old MacDonald's Farm. Nice touch. And the great thing is, we got to stay within the National Park itself! So we were in the thick of it, the sound of cicadas was somewhat deafening, but you become quickly accustomed to it. The group got together in the evening, had a bit of a campfire going which was great. The good thing about the bus is that you meet a new group of people every time you hop on the next one! Or you can chose to stay on the bus the whole way round and stay with the same driver. Izzy and I have a few days to spare here and there, so we're staying in certain places a little bit longer than the 'necessary' stay time. Our driver- Metro is a good laugh. Going to be fun having him driving us round for the next few days!

We spent the next day doing a walk around the beaches of Abel Tasman; doing things on a budget is pretty easy in NZ, seeing as there is so much to see and you don't have to pay for it! Love NZ.

Friday 29th January 2010:

Next stop: Barrytown. So Stray basically stop off at a completely random spot called Barrytown; turns out it is an incredibly secluded beach and next to it is a pub/backpackers. And that was about it! Ha ha, we didn't know what to expect really. The beach was beautiful, and a little bit eerie simultaneously. You step out onto the beach and there's complete silence. It may sound completely cliched, but you really feel at ease; it it so peaceful and no matter what you are thinking at the time, this place completely clears your head, and you just appreciate everything as it is. Amazing. There is also a lot of Jade stone found on this beach; it is a precious stone to New Zealand and they make beautiful jewellery out of it, basing the designs on Maori culture and the meanings attributed to various shapes and symbols. Despite searching along the beach, none of us found any Jade. Hmm.

And for the evening section there is a traditional fancy dress party. Mostly because there is nothing else to do in Barrytown, but it was great fun, a good ice-breaker. What happens in Barrytown stays in Barrytown.

Saturday 30th January 2010:

Post-fancy dress, we got up nice and early to do some bone carving! Not only is Jade a Maori tradition, bone carving is also a really nice way to sample the culture and make your own souvenir! And so Isobel and I went off to the workshop with a few others off the bus and designed our own necklaces. I had to ask whose bones we were in fact carving. Turns out they are cow bones. Lovely. We spent the next few hours shaping the designs we had chosen, with a little aid from the experts. Having sanded until I could sand no more, we buffed up the bone and voila! We had our very own shiny necklaces!

Hello Bali

Monday 11th January 2010:

Isobel and I arrived in Denpasar, Bali. We made our way to the bustling backpacker area of Kuta- quite a lot to take in when you're tired and looking for somewhere to stay, but I got used to it in no time and loved it! We found ourselves some cheap acommodation to do us for the next ten days. Turns out our German friends were also in Bali; people we had met in Kuala Lumpur and then again in Singapore, were now in Kuta. So we met up with them for the evening, had a bit of catch up and then got ourselves some well-earned rest. Pretty sure I shared my next few 'restful' evenings with a cosy group of bedbugs, but it's all part of it. Ha.

Isobel and I soon got into the swing of things, making ourselves completely at home in Kuta, adopting a regular breakfast stop at a cafe across the street- the freshest fruit you will ever have for breakfast. I could get used to this, and so cheap! The plan to save money is certainly working. Well until I hit the markets that is. So it's currently the rainy season in Bali; you tend to get a bit of a downpour and then the sun shines for the rest of the day. We had a few rainy days to start with, but after that it cleared up and we had some beautiful weather! I do love Bali; it is such a fantastic place, a really 'easy' pace of life. By easy I probably mean lazy; everybody sinks into a sort of slumberous lethargy here, but in a good way. It's just a beach environment: surfers, bikins and board shorts. What's not to love! Isobel and I were determined to get our surf practice in, so we hit Kuta beach and hired ourselves a board each. We did barter for them, but apparantly we still got ripped off! Oh well, still pretty cheap! So it turns out the waves are much stronger and bigger out here- hence it being a great place for surfers, just maybe not so much for the beginners. So we ended up battling with the waves more often than riding them. But I will persevere with it! Got the bruises to prove the determination ha. It's a shame that Kuta beach is not very clean; a lot of rubbish finds it's way over when the tides shift, which makes it quite unpleasant to swim in the waters here. So we shall venture out to a neighbouring beach in the coming days..

Saturday 16th January 2010:

Isobel and I decided to hire a scooter today, so we could see some of the surrounding beaches. Everyone gets around by scooter over here, and in Southeast Asia more generally; seems a pretty good way to beat the congestion anyway! So Izzy drove, and I must admit I felt a bit uneasy because these bikes are more powerful than you expect them to be! After a close call with a van, we found ourselves on our way to 'Dreamland' beach. It was much prettier and cleaner than Kuta beach, which was nice. Turns out the waves were far too big that day, so no surfing for us! An 'interesting' turn of events ensued after our pleasant afternoon at the beach. I decided to have a go on the scooter, thought I'd drive us back. Anyway, I revved too hard on the damn thing, didn't realise it was quite so powerful, lost complete control and ended up falling off the bike and skinning my leg across the pavement! Lovely. I was gutted when I realised that I wouldn't be able to surf now. Was not worth the drama at all. Isobel got us back safely, and we made our way to the clinic to get my leg sorted out! I ended up on a course of antibiotics, with my leg bandaged for the remainder of our stay! Great conversation starter, but not so fun when you are on a beautiful island and you cannot enter the water! Don't even get me started on showers- awkward to say the least. A tad foolish on my part.

We met some great people in Bali, lots of surfers surprisingly enough! Turns out one of the lads we met was in our year at Sheffield uni with us! Love the coincidences. We spent an evening down at the beach watching the sunset, the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. I have never taken quite so many photos of a sunset either ha ha. Tourist. Also got completely hounded at the beach by women selling bracelets, and sarongs, and jewellery. And anything you can think of really! Extremely persistent people, to the point of annoyance actually. I understand that this is how they make a living, but what if I don't want any more bracelets?!



Friday 22nd January 2010:

Having spent a heavily relaxed ten days in Bali, and completely fallen in love with the place, we said our reluctant goodbyes. Definitely going back to Bali, may give the scooter ride a miss next time.

The Finale: Sydney- Melbourne

Thursday 7th January 2010:

A lovely fourteen-hour bus journey behind us and we arrived in Sydney. Oh the buses. I think we should get some sleep and leave the exploration for tomorrow.

We had a nose around Sydney, nice day for it, sun shining. We had a walk along the Sydney Harbour Bridge, took some photos of the Opera House. It's a pretty cool structure, but I don't really see what all the fuss is about?! We sat in Hyde Park for a bit, just taking in the scenery. Not the most exciting of cities, but maybe you need to explore it further to appreciate it more? I will take your word for it. Was an interesting couple of days, but time to move on.

Saturday 9th January 2010:

Bus to Melbourne. Think it took about thirteen hours. A bit longer seeing as we broke down! Oh dear, are we nearly there yet? Ha ha. Wasn't too bad, the driver had us back on the road within an hour, so not much of a set-back. We arrived in Melbourne that night and Izzy's aunts met us at the bus station to take us back to their place for a couple of nights! So nice of them.

After a good night's sleep I'd like to say I was ready to explore Melbourne, but my body was struggling to get out of a seated position, having been on coaches for so long over the past few days. Ha ha. However, Izzy's aunts did a fantastic job of showing us round, great to have tour guides! I absolutely love Melbourne, beautiful architecture, lots of 'old-meets-new' in the buildings. I fell in love with the train station- a building from the 1800s (I think) and it is just stunning. Right next to it is a cathedral, which makes for a fantastic photo opportunity. Melbourne is a very arty city, as well as being known for its sports and I just love the atmosphere. Much more friendly than Sydney, and calmer. It would have been nice to have a bit longer in Melbourne, just to have more of a peek around. But we are off to Bali after all. We went up the Eureka tower- up to the 88th floor. Great view of the city! And what a great way to end our tour of East Coast Australia. Melbourne is well worth the visit.

I Love Byron Bay

Saturday 2nd January 2010:

Next stop: Byron Bay! I have been looking forward to this stop since we started our East Coast travels. Have heard such great things about the place: really chilled out, lots of surfing, more of a 'hippy' vibe to the place, which I like the sound of, being the hippy that I am? Hmm. We stayed at the Arts Factory, notorious for its chilled-out atmosphere. Really nice place- could do with some fans, but it works. Ari and Lucy were booked in at the same time as us- loving the coincidence, so lots of fun with the girls!

On Sunday the four of us had our very first surf lesson!! I absolutely love watersports and have wanted to have a go at surfing since we started travelling, but I had no idea what to expect. So our instructors Dan and Lance did a bit of practice on the beach with us to start with, and then, armed with our surf boards, we headed out into the sea. Pretty nippy water here, but after struggling to get past a few waves you soon warm up! It was great that all four of us managed to stand up on the first go! Woo. Can't say we all managed to stand for long, but Izzy was a natural and surfed out to shore. Nice. It took me a bit longer to get the hang of it, fell off numerous times and then it clicked and I was surfing! Well at its most basic, but surfing! Such a great feeling- can see that this will be an addictive one. Am looking forward to getting some more practice in when we go to Bali, as it will be much cheaper to hire out a board over there. Izzy and I have found ourselves a little hobby to work on!


We had to move hostels after a couple of nights because the Arts Factory was booked up. We moved on to the ultra-modern Nomads Odyssey and I loved it! Polar opposite to the laid-back hippy vibe, this place was equally great but just in a completely different way. I think we enjoyed this hotel so much due to the company; we met the most fantastic group of guys from Melbourne, really friendly, and really good fun! We all went out for an evening and instead of actually getting to any particular destination, we ended up getting caught up in the street music that was playing, everyone joining in and just having a great night dancing in the street! I loved it- steel drums, saxophones and great people. I love Byron Bay.

New Years at Surfers Paradise

Wednesday 30th December 2009:

Bus down to Surfers Paradise, not a long journey at all, which made a nice change. We stayed a night with Izzy's family, which was lovely. And then over to our hostel for New Years Eve. Now I had not heard good things about Surfers Paradise from other backpackers- very commercialised, a bit sleasy, and despite the name, not very good for surfing at all! Anyway you have to make your own mind up about places don't you. Shame they were right. Ha ha, yeah it wasn't really my cup of tea, but you make the most of things don't you. And we met up with Ari and Lucy, which meant that the company would be great. We got a big group of people together for the festivities and it was smiles all round bringing in the New Year! Yeah we all had a really good night out, great laugh- hello 2010! Let's see what this year brings eh.

So Australia, in my opinion is a tad over-rated. Controversial? Probably. Anyway as a backpacker it is far too expensive, hard to enjoy a place when all you can think about is money. So, Isobel and I have decided to cut our Oz trip short by ten days, which we are going to spend instead in... Bali! I absolutely cannot wait. To Indonesia then! How I love Asia prices, and the culture, I think I am going to enjoy Bali very much.

Down to Brisbane

Sunday 27th December 2009:

We arrived in Brisbane early this morning, had to hang around the bus station for a good few hours before the hostel opened; can be quite annoying when you just want to get settled and have a nap! It was hilarious when we did arrive, walked into the dorm room to be met by a pungent smell of wet dog and urine. Oh yes this had to be the least hygienic of all the dorm rooms that we had met so far. Having dumped our backpacks, we walked straight out and without even looking at one another, Izzy and I both knew that we had to find another hostel. After calling round, turns out we couldn't afford anything else! Haha, so the urine smell would have to linger in our nostrils for a few nights after all. Anyway, it turns out that the dorm room was the only negative at this hostel; the people were amazing, the most friendly hostel I have ever stayed at. So that made up for the room, which we got used to, and ended up staying longer than expected. Ha.

The weather in Brisbane was slightly disappointing, lots of rain, but you can't have it all! The town centre was a nice vibrant area; lots of food stalls, great place for shopping (oh the restraint), and a general good feel about the place. Every backpacker in Brisbane migrates on a daily basis to the State Library, because of the free internet they offer! Amazing. Big queues, but brilliant idea. Also, a really lovely library, a great space that everyone can use- could do with more of this sort of thing in the UK. I like.

Monday 28th December 2009:

Today we visited the Lone Pine Koala Santuary! We got our student cards out- any discount we can get on this trip is a bonus. We sat with kangaroos, amazing animals, so great to be able to see them up close and in their natural surroundings. Obviously they are quite tame and used to having lots of people around, so not entirely natural, but they seem pretty happy! (Animal expert) And then to the koalas. They are such adorable animals, so lazy ha ha. Apparantly they can be quite vicious- deceptively cuddly? They're alright if you don't piss them off anyway. So Isobel and I paid a bit extra to have ourselves a koala cuddle and a photograph- when in Rome. They may be adorable animals, but they smell pretty unpleasant ha. Not often do you get the opportunity to cuddle a koala- loved it. Was a great day out. Lapping up the tourism.

On Tuesday evening we went on the City Cat ferry around the city. Such a great way to get around if you live here, pretty cheap fares and beautiful city views at night. A peaceful way to spend an evening, especially if one is too broke to go out on a big night out that is. Making the most of an experience without the necessity of money- my new philosophy. (Not by choice ha)

It's going to be a Fraser Christmas

Thursday 24th December 2009:

So the past few days have involved a lot of travel on the Greyhound Bus service- really good service, but the coach drivers are all moody buggers. It seems to be the persona they have all adopted, and succeeded in perfecting. Anyway, Australia is a pretty big place so there have been some long stretches on the buses and a lot of lost sleep. Good thing is, you can choose to ride the overnight bus which saves you the money of a hostel for a night! Genius. I can sleep when I get back to England ha.


So Christmas Eve, we headed off to Fraser Island on the ferry, dropped our backpacks off at the hostel and we got straight into the tour. Fraser has the bumpiest terrain I have ever encountered, many many sand dunes! It's a UNESCO site and is known for its beauty, and fun! So a bumpy ride on a massive monster truck; I advise one to go out on a fairly empty stomach for the first journey- just to get used to the motion. Our tour guide Damo was fantastic, really friendly, and fundamentally great at his job. We visited Basin Lake (gorgeous lake shaped in a fairly perfect circle), then we did a rainforest walk which was really good, and then over to Lake McKenzie- such a beautiful lake, gorgeous blue colour and apparantly very good for the skin and hair. So a little spa treatment as well! We bumped into quite a few people we knew, the lads from Stoke who we'd met further up the coast, and also our friends from Southampton: Ari and Lucy. So that was a lovely surprise! So nice catching up with people along the coast. A fantastic first day on Fraser.




Friday 25th December 2009:


Christmas Day on Fraser Island. And what a hot day it was. Our itinerary for the day:
Eli Creek Boardwalk
Coloured Sands
Maheno Shipwreck
Indian Head (shark look-out)
Champagne Pools


So not the most traditional of Christmas Days, certainly no turkey or roast potatoes- what I would have given ha ha. Next year. Or maybe I'll go travelling instead. Hmm. So the tan is certainly coming on a treat, as is the sweat (not such a treat). So a lot of walking today, pretty physical, am loving getting a bit of fitness in! Also amazing to see how many different colour variations of sand exist! This place is just beautiful; everywhere you look there is something amazing to see. The sea is bautifully clear and incredibly inviting, especially in this heat. And then you are kindly informed that the waters here are shark-infested. Ah. Will be giving that dip a miss then.

We arrived at Indian Head after a bumpy ride along the sand dunes and went for a little trek up to the top. Pretty hard-going in the heat, but so worth it when you get up there- wow. The views are amazing, and we spotted a few rays and sharks down below! Izzy and I decided to make our way back down to the bus and after one hell of a walk, the bus was nowhere to be found! Oh dear, far too hot for this. So we ended up having to walk over the bloody mountain a second time, sand burning our feet with every step (yes I am dramatising the situation for creative flair), down to the other side. We got on the bus looking a little angry to say the least. Want to see the sweat pouring? Here is the evidence.

Haha sexy look eh. Well it gets even better. Five minutes on the bus and we get stuck in the sand. Immediate evacuation to ensure that we don't sink any further into the soft sand, and we're out in the heat again, only now we are shovelling sand as fast as we can from around the wheels. Ha ha what a Christmas day indeed! Hilarious with hindsight, but isn't everything that's a pain in the arse at the time? Yes it was funny, less so when we got stuck another two times after that, within the space on an hour. Pretty understandable considering the bus weighed about eighteen tonnes, without the thirty people on board. Practical. Thank god we stopped off at the Champagne Pools next, nice and refreshing, 'Champagne' in name because of the colour and due to the direction that the sea flows into the bay, causing a 'bubbling' effect. How pretty. On the drive back we stopped at the Maheno Shipwreck, really amazing to see how well-intact it has stayed. And then back to the resort.

Christmas Dinner: Fajitas. Ha ha, but I want my roast dinner! Oh well. Bloody Australians, can't get it right.

Saturday 26th December 2009:


A long trek to start the day off; today we visited the emerald green Lake Wabby. Another physical day, but not so hot which was nice. Reached Lake Wabby: really clear waters, and full of wild life. I wasn't too sure about swimming in it at first, with all the cat fish mooching around the shoreline, but they don't bite, so we went for a nice relaxing swim in the green waters of the Wabby. A long walk back to the bus and we were back on the bumpy road once more. A final trip to the beautiful Lake McKenzie (my favourite spot) and that was our tour over. What a fantastic few days, money well-spent. And we all got on the ferry back to Hervey Bay. Izzy and I got back to our hostel, hung around for a few hours before catching the 1.25am Greyhound to Brisbane. And the journey continues. Good luck getting any sleep on the bus!

East Coast Australia

Tuesday 15th December 2009:

Isobel and I started the next part of our journey, making our way over to Cairns, Australia. So sad to leave Asia, but excited about what comes next! Turns out Australia is expensive! Wow, most of the budget was going on accommodation and basic food, and that's without any excursions! Hmm. Going to be a tight one methinks. Anyway, we booked ourselves on a few trips and went from there.

A couple of days later we went on a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef- if you're going to go to Australia you're going to have to visit the Great Barrier Reef- standard tourist. Anyway we boarded a nice big catarmaran, applied our sun cream and sat out on deck enjoying the ride. Turns out I do not take too well to a choppy sea. Oh dear, not to go into too much detail, but I was very very ill on that boat. That bloody boat. Urgh. However, when it came to our introductory scuba dive, I could not wait to get off the boat and into that water. I was absolutely petrified, having never dove before, but had to be done. So we got all geared up, stumbling around with a tank on my back and jumped in! We had a bit of a briefing beforehand and that was that, on with the dive! We didn't go very deep of course, but what a funny sensation, being underwater and breathing! Yes I know that that is the whole idea with this diving lark, but it is so incredible when you actually give it a go. Saw some amazing fish over the reef, though I think I was concentrating so hard on my breathing that I forgot to take in a lot of the scenery ha ha. Would certainly give the diving another go, am hoping to do a PADI diving course at some point in the near future; will wait until I go somwhere a little cheaper- Egypt perhaps. Great day though, and I wasn't ill on the journey back to Cairns. Yay!

Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

Wednesday 9th December 2009:

We started the day with a pleasant coach journey to Kuala Lumpur; the standard mode of transport on this particular route- I certainly wasn't going to complain, this has to be the most comfortable way we have travelled so far! Took about five hours to get to KL, and that's when we hit the traffic. Lots of cars here then! Got to our hostel: 'Back Home Kuala Lumpur.' This has to be one of my favourite hostels so far, so comfortable! And a great atmosphere, lots of friendly people. Not the bog standard, and still good room rates.

After a chilled-out initial day, we went out into the city to have a good look around KL Sentral. We took the monorail and MRT train service to the Petronas Towers. Was somewhat ignorant, but funny simultaneously when Izzy and I arrived at the Petronas Towers and didn't actually realise we were inside them, getting distracted instead by the fact that Malaysia had its very own Topshop. Oh dear. Ha ha, was interesting when we asked the security guard where the towers were and he just gave us a look of bewilderment. Sorry. So yeah, the Petronas Towers are impressive structures when you find them, as is the fantastic mall that is enclosed within them! A natural shopper, I will never change.

So we spent the rest of the day simply taking in the city's atmosphere, only so much you can do in a big city when on a budget, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We went back to the hostel and made friends with some great people, spending the evening with them in China town. So great to be meeting new people all the time, finding so much in common with people from all over the world. And more importantly, making connections in the countries I have yet to visit. Ha. Ulterior motives?

So just a quick stop in Malaysia, we left for Singapore on Friday evening. Enjoyed another relaxing coach journey. Fantastic just hopping from city to city! Settled into the next hostel and got some sleep...

Saturday 12th December 2009:

..Exploring Singapore. What a gorgeous city: so clean, so pristine. Wish I wasn't on such a tight budget, because this is a city to spoil yourself in. Beautiful malls everywhere, gorgeous hotels, lovely restaurants. Singapore is a city I would definitely come back to at some point; it is a city of indulgence, but still retains its culture, which I enjoy. Fantastic metropolitan feel to the place. Could do with getting a job here. Ha.

Singapore, like Kuala Lumpur has its own Little India and China Town which is great. We also came across Arab Street, which I had to go and have a look at. Reminded me of being back in Egypt or Saudi Arabia; obviously not quite the same, but a really nice homely feeling when visiting an Arabic area. I couldn't help myself when I came across a Saudi headdress, just had a try it on! How do I look? Hmm.

We ended up bumping into our friends from Kuala Lumpur, that's what is so great about travelling, you always bump into someone you know along the way. Small world? Yes I think that is the appropriate saying. So another evening out, and a meal from hell at an Indian restaurant called 'High Five.' We should have known not to go there simply judging by the name, but just to save the rest of you from the experience: avoid it. Ha ha terrible cuisine. But a hilarious experience.

It turns out Singapore has a very expensive nightlife, for the traveller anyway, but we did find a lovely spot at Clarke Quay, lots of people just sat by the water-front enjoying the view, and so we resided there for the evening!

On Sunday we all went on Singapore's Night Safari. We got there about 10pm and toured round, seeing the nocturnal animals in their natural habitats. Pretty interesting actually, considering you miss most of this when you go the zoo in the day, depends how much you like the old wildlife thing. Was a fun evening, no pictures I'm afraid. Can't use a flash on the poor animals! Was a lovely way to end our stay in Singapore before catching our flight to Australia the next day. Going to miss Asia. Amazing place to visit; I have to come back to see more!

Butterworth to Penang, Malaysia.

Monday 7th December 2009:

A pleasant 5am start. Caught the 6.27am to Butterworth, brilliant name for a place. Izzy and I decided that we'd have to visit Butterworth purely for its name value. Having consulted the Lonely Planet Guide, we were informed that the only reason to go to Butterworth is in order to go through it to get the ferry to Penang. Rubbish. And how correct the guide was- bit of a shit hole. Sorry but it was! Also the hottest day ever to be ferrying a backpack around. Mmm sweaty. Also, Malaysia seems to have a serious ATM-deficiency. Not so convenient when we needed money in order to catch the ferry over to Penang. Luckily we had a few Thai Bahts between us and we just exchanged them for some Malay Ringets.

So finally in Penang, we got ourselves over to a hostel, still no sign of an ATM, could be a bit tricky to pay for anything at this rate. Anyway we were lucky that the guesthouse we were staying at let us into our room before we found ourselves some money! We went for a walk, searching in vain for a bank. Finally came across one, obviously relieved, and then our cards got rejected! Oh dear. Now the best thing to do is just look for another bank, but this was the dilemma- there didn't seem to be any more! We thought our UK banks had stopped our cards, time was ticking and we had no money for food, drink or accommodation. Ah. I think it's safe to say that the panic was setting in just a tad. We walked for a few miles and eventually came across a different bank. But would we get any money this time? Luck strikes. Funny how safe you suddenly feel with a bit of money in your pocket. So it was time for dinner by this point, and then back to the guesthouse to pay for the room. It was a long day to say the least. I look forward to a sleep tonight before we explore Georgetown, Penang.

We got up on Tuesday refreshed and ready to go. Roof-top breakfast- very nice. But a very intense sort of heat over here, going to need lots of water! Georgetown is great, really interesting architecture; the colonial influence is evident everywhere, and it's great to see the contrast between the old and the newer buildings. I really like how they've kept the old buildings, obviously to their advantage- great for tourism.

We visited the Penang Museum, I learned that Frances Light founded Georgetown, made some deal with the locals to gain ownership- you know how it works. Ha ha I didn't pay that much attention I'm afraid. Interesting history though: Penang was built upon the communities of the Chinese, Indian and Malay people ('Orang'= people in Malay), each community carrying out its particular function to keep industry moving. I love that these people still exert their influence upon the city and coexist peacefully in the same area, creating their own specialist areas where their tastes and traditions dominate. Had a stroll through Little India, great atmosphere; would be brilliant to visit India one day, so much to see, stalls, shops, homes, people all crowded around one area. I love experiencing different cultures, so interesting to see how people live in their own communities where they are comfortable to simply be themselves. The picture to the right is clearly not Little India, that was Chinatown. Bit of clarification to those of you not paying attention to the minor details.

We carried on our walk to the Town Hall, again a beautiful site and reminder of Georgetown's colonial past. Then over to Fort Cornwallis, not a great deal to see, so Izzy and I decided to climb some of the canons instead. Got to make it worth the price of the ticket after all. Ha. Immaturity strikes. Despite the heat, there is a phenomenal amount of greenery in Malaysia; a beautiful park surrounds the fort and overlooks the harbour. Stunning scenery. Really glad we decided to travel down through Malaysia, always good to catch a bit of something new!

Goodbye Thailand. I will miss you

Sunday 6th December 2009:

We are leaving Thailand, moving down towards Malaysia. So sad to leave this place, but really looking forward to the next part of our little adventure. Was an early start; a pleasant 5am wake up. The walk down the Tantawan steps to the roadside was somewhat treacherous with a backpack, but the Tantawan dogs were there to escort us down. Well that and yap at our feet and get in our way a little bit. Ha. Got a ferry to Surat Thani, then a bus from the port to a very random backpacker place that was a sort-of waiting area. And what a filthy waiting area it was! Lovely experience. Anyway, from there we took a mini-bus to Hat Yai on the border of Thailand. I just have to stress the travel conditions here, because this was the most cramped bus I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Not only cramped were the conditions, but we had the most eclectic mix of passengers I can possibly imagine. The front two seats were occupied by a couple of scantily-dressed Thai ladyboys. Then came the elderly Thai couple on a weekend break, and lets not forget the two young Thai ladies next to them. Behind them was a Sri Lankan family, looked as though they were moving house, judging by the amount of luggage. And finally came the four backpackers. Just remember this is all crammed into one little mini-bus. I believe it was a nine-seater and we had a good fourteen people in there. Oh and it turns out there is a hierarchical system within the mini-bus service in Thailand: the less Thai you are, the further back along the bus you sit and the less leg-room you are awarded. We were pretty much riding with the luggage. The guy sat next to Izzy was dosed up on Valium to survive the trip; apparantly the best way to go over here. I am told that you simply walk into a pharmacy and pay 100 bahts for a handful of the stuff. I opted for perseverance in this instance. Five hours in the life of a tinned sardine; what a journey.

Finally in Hat Yai, not a place to visit by the way, quite a strange atmosphere, not so welcoming to the tourists. Most people travel down here to do visa runs into Malaysia before heading back to Thailand. I certainly wouldn't come again. Simply a stop-off point on our way down. We stopped at a hostel that night, pretty scummy and a bit on the creepy side, but right next to the train station for our train to Butterworth, Malaysia the next morning...

The Full Moon Party

The date we have been long awaiting: 2nd December 2009. The Full Moon Party. This takes place in Haad Rin, Koh Phangan, and the celebration revolves around the moon. Well, any excuse for a party more like; they have a half-moon party too! Ha ha. Got to love it. So we herded ourselves onto the back of a taxi/pick-up truck with the rest of the party-goers. Took about half an hour to get the other side of the island; the most hilly island I have ever visited, didn't know if the truck was going to make it up a few of them. And then we were there; the sudden hustle and bustle of backpackers hits you and you know you have arrived. The atmosphere is electric; thousands of people all migrate to the same spot, and the beach becomes the hub of it all. Being an annual festival-goer, this reminded me very much of the music festivals back in England. A festival on the beach! What more could you ask for? It may not be live music, but the beach is lined with bars that play their own style of music, and you find the genre you 'bop your beat to' and have a dance there for a bit. Ha ha I am so ghetto. Oh and you have to get yourself painted up in neon glow paint, great stuff. There are numerous stalls lit by black/UV light, beautful designs scrolled on the fabric walls, and you pick the design you'd like painted on. Amazing! So we all had a little bit of art done, and then we went and bought some paint of our own and just went a little bit crazy with the stuff. We looked like human glow-worms; but it's the full moon party!

And so we danced the night away; bit of reggae, bit of dance, not so much of the trance. Ha. I love that everyone was just there to have a great time, happy dancing away to their own little beats. Some people a little more off-centre than others, but generally just a fantastic party on the beach! And we danced until the sun came up! What a great feeling, watching the sun rise, knowing that you have nothing to worry about, just getting totally caught up in the moment of it all. That's what makes the experience so great; in that moment you simply be. And enjoy. And smile. "Don't worry. Be happy."

We left the beach at about 7.30am and got our taxi ride back over to Haad Yao. The journey is not as fun the next day; those hills are not party-friendly at all. Another trek back up to our hillside bungalow. Had to shower to get rid of the neon paint and then straight to bed. What a night.

Having had a sleep and a hearty breakfast, Izzy and I decided to go and pick up our laundry. Oh yeah, that's another thing I love about Thailand- the laundry service! There are signs everywhere stating ridiculously cheap prices to wash, dry and iron your clothes for you. This place is just too good to be true. Anyway so our laundry was done. Only problem was that on our way back up to Tantawan we got caught in a massive thunderstorm! The heavens do literally open up and once it rains, it pours out here. We got caught in a similar storm in bangkok actually. And we were sat in the back of a tuk-tuk! Now just imagine a fairly flimsy style of transportation, exposed to the elements on all sides, and a thunderstorm strikes. Ha ha it is not pretty. Was great fun though, except when we were nearly struck by lightning. But here I am writing this blog, so I survived to tell the tale. Such a drama queen eh.

The Islands

Thursday 26th November 2009: flight to Phuket. Tommy has joined Isobel and myself for the beach portion of our Thailand trip, don't blame him considering there are currently blizzards in Beijing at this moment in time. We got ourselves up at the crack of dawn and over to Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok. Had to include the name, is my favourite airport name in the world. A quick journey over to Phuket, found our hostel in Patong. Now the Lonely Planet guide does say that this is a place you will either love or hate; I don't like to be given such a choice of extremes to be honest. Now hate is a strong word, but I was not too keen on the place. That may sound spoilt, seeing as it is Thailand after all, but it felt like I was on an oldies package holiday: lots of man boobs and saggy breasts. Took away from the idyllic scenery somewhat. Each to their own though. Patong is a very comercialised party hotspot by night, buzzing atmosphere, but felt a bit like Magaluf. I haven't actually had the pleasure of visiting Magaluf, but I think it's a fair comparison to make. Maybe not so much my kind of place anyway. Though the ladyboys and iguana-carrying men do add an 'exoticism' that Magaluf may lack. Or is that eroticism? I'm sure they both manage on that note.

On Saturday morning, we got ourselves onto a boat to Koh Phi Phi. This is the island we all hear about for its beauty. And whoever started that rumour is very much correct. Paradise. The stereotypical images of the long-tail boats become reality when you get to Phi Phi; it is breath-taking, and I am so happy we are here! The atmosphere is more chilled-out, and although it is just as touristy as Phuket, this is in a totally different way. To begin with, the average age falls from sixty-four to the mid-twenties here. The sea is so calm and strangely shallow; it has a medidative feel to it. I think I might live here one day. Ha ha. Beach bum. No I will actually be productive one day. But for now, we should just indulge in the beauty of Phi Phi. Oh and to fully appreciate this beauty, one must listen to Groove Armada's 'At The River,' or at least sing it in your head. I sang this tune for most of the journey to Phi Phi; I made less friends that day. Hmm..

A few hours of sun exposure later, we found ourselves at the beach once again. Evening activities: loads going on along the beach front. Lots of fire shows/flame-throwing at the beach bars. Very skillful indeed; isn't it crazy how mesmerising it is to watch fire? And no, I do not have a problem if that's what momentarily flitted across your mind, but people do find the sight of fire completely intoxicating, hence the success of the fire shows. I like Koh Phi Phi. I will be back again one day. Don't like to break the promises I make. Ha.

Unfortunately we had to leave Koh Phi Phi on Monday. There are no such thing as taxis or tuk-tuks on this island, all about preserving the natural beauty of the place, which is great. What I love, is the alternative mode of transport they offer: the man taxi. Basically, a Thai man with a giant wheelbarrow has to ferry numerous backpacks across the island. My backpack weighs about eighteen/nineteen kilograms (probably more since my trinket-fest in Thailand), which is a pretty hefty amount. So think about the weight of ten of these damn things in a wheelbarrow. And no complaints from the driver. Hero. I feel bad now, considering I didn't carry my backpack.

And then the journey to Koh Phangan. This was a fairly long day: boat back to Phuket. Then a bus ride from there to Surat Thani port, and from the port we took a ferry to Koh Phangan. So a bit of a day trip really. We sat on the deck and watched the most amazing sunset on the way to Koh Phangan; obstructed somewhat by a boat-full of amateur photographers, trying to get the perfect sunset shot. I joined in of course. We arrived in Koh Phangan that evening, and got a taxi over to Tantawan Bungalows, which was situated in Haad Yao, a bit further out from the hustle and bustle that would soon become the Full Moon Party. Tantawan is situated in the hills; the walk from the road up to the place was a challenge with a backpack. Feel those legs begin to buckle under the weight. Lets just recap, about eighteen-nineteen kilograms. My own fault though, such a girl. Our bungalow was lovely; it had it's own little balcony, with a hammock that looks out over the sea. Amazing, and only five pounds a night! Can't go wrong here. The owners of this place are great: Yupa and Patrick, Thai woman marries French man. They're so friendly and the cuisine is a mixture of Thai and French, which is great if you were ever to tire of Thai food. (Not that that would ever happen of course). Yeah really great place to stay; because of the full moon party, the hostels and guest houses here have a policy that you stay for a minimum of five or six nights. A bit of a pain if you want to move on swiftly, but when we saw this place, swimming pool and all, we knew we wouldn't have a problem staying. Probably have more trouble getting me to leave.